Maryanto

Open Pit

Underground

Lightbox Large

Blood Coltan

2016

These light box pieces are part of Indonesian artist Maryanto's Mineral Desire. Maryanto's creations are a component of his sociological surveys and research. In Mineral Desire, the artist introduces the different life stages of minerals in their metamorphosis from natural elements to sacred artifacts of culture and economics. Here, minerals have become a key substance for the transformation of human society. For Indonesia, these are the substances that have forced the country to modernize and enter the global market. The four light box pieces depict iron ore mining, quarries, and underground scenes—i.e. an early picture of colonialism and modernity.

Medium

Small lightbox