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.