TITLE: Jade mining

Jade mining in Myanmar, just like mining of other raw materials in different parts of the world, leaves the landscape altered and scarred, often giving it an abstract and partially surreal quality.
In Myanmar, the big mining companies sometimes have to stop working for political reasons. Immediately, migrant individual workers step in to work (mostly illegally) in groups looking for the precious stones in the hope to get rich quick. They live under dangerous conditions with landslides happening from time to time. Since I grew up in the center of the coal mining area in Germany, a few times having being able to go down to 1,000m below the surface, I feel a strong connection to the earth and the soil. (Over-)Exploitation is a big issue of our times and hopefully, we´ll learn to look after our resources better.

AUTHOR: Birgit Neiser (Germany)