2021 / DEEP SEA MINING
The deep sea — a fascinating realm surrounded by mystery. We know more about the surface of Mars than the depths of our own ocean. Yet, the deep ocean plays a crucial role, absorbing over 90% of the Earth's accumulating heat.
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Despite our limited understanding, grand plans are underway to exploit it on an unprecedented scale. A burgeoning mining industry promises immense profits, yet the potential consequences of its destruction remain largely incomprehensible.
At least, not yet.
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Since the discovery of precious metal deposits, there has been a keen interest in large-scale mining operations. The graphic illustrates what these operations are likely to entail.
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Enormous machinery operates at depths between 2500 and 6500 meters on the ocean floor. Functioning similarly to vacuum cleaners, they extract metals known as "polymetallic nodules" along with the surrounding material up to a depth of 15 centimeters. A vessel is connected to a lengthy pipe that transports the extracted metals to the surface, where they are separated from unwanted sediment. The remaining sediment is then pumped back into the ocean, creating expansive clouds of uncontrolled sediment known as "plumes" that can extend over several kilometers, greatly affecting the surrounding ecosystem.​​
The installation represents the intricate connection between this ecosystem and our atmosphere's climate. It visualizes the potential disruption of the deep sea's cooling function due to planned mining operations. The various components highlight the interconnectedness of different aspects, illustrating their interrelation.
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Here's a quick overview: Greenhouse gases are causing our climate to heat up. The deep sea plays a crucial role in cooling it down, but large-scale mining operations could disrupt this balance. If the ecosystem's cooling function is lost, our climate would gradually, yet steadily, warm up, accelerating the process of climate change.
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Each object of the installation to the left symbolizes a different aspect of my research on deep sea mining, with their shapes corresponding to the brief descriptions beside them. All of them have both positiv and negative attributes.
Drawing inspiration from the idea of a totem pole, the objects should be stacked in order of priority, starting with what you believe is the most important. The goal is to gain insight into public perceptions of deep sea mining and understand the perspective of the audience on how the whole subject should be approached.
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