PAINTINGS & DRAWINGS
PAINTINGS & DRAWINGS
INSTALLATIONS
As Below, So Above 2, 2024
Glass tank, clam shells, metal chain, light arch with traditional German motif ‘Angel and Miner’,
chrome spray paint and etching on plexiglass, water
H 50 x W 38 x D 38 cm
This installation was realized during the ‘Ecologies of Water’ Exchange Program 2024 at Leipzig International Art Program in Leipzig, Germany.
During the residency, I conducted research on Leipzig’s waterscape transformation from the raw expanse of open-cast lignite mines to the serene expanse artificial lakes, and now, its potential as a renewable energy source.
For nearly a century and a half, central Germany's landscape has borne the dual imprint of lignite mining: a vital energy source and a profound environmental disruptor. The region's transformation is stark; 1,770 square kilometers of countryside yielded to extraction, leaving scars upon the land and water, displacing communities, and creating spectral villages. While powering a nation, this industrial behemoth simultaneously amplified greenhouse gas emissions.
Intrigued by the paradoxical nature of lignite's impact on people and the environment, I delved into the archives of Bergbau Technik Park (translated in English as Mining Technology Park), a repository of mining artifacts that illuminate the complex relationship between miners and their industry during the German Democratic Republic. Yet, as I explored this history, questions persisted about the ongoing, perplexing grip of lignite on the region.