A pivotal aspect of Anthropocene science, particularly during the late twentieth-century Great Acceleration (Steffen et al., 2007), revolves around the escalating extraction and movement of materials. This encompasses the heightened transport of various masses, including biomass, construction materials, and industrial minerals (Schaffartzik et al., 2014). Viewing mining as a form of artificial erosion (Zalasiewicz et al., 2014: 113), it illustrates Earth overcoming resistance to solid motion (Haff, 2012). This phenomenon positions anthropogenic movement on par with natural processes in terms of mass moved per unit time, signifying a substantial shift in the Earth’s dynamics (Haff, 2010).
Several artistic designs delve into the extraction process of war materials from their original context within more-than-human nature. Gusmão & Paiva focus on forestry, while Lara Almarcegui and Nicholas Mangan explore mineral mining. Other artists shift their attention towards the transportation aspect of this thematic exploration, with Thomas Bayrle depicting roads and Mangan portraying an airport runway.
This overarching theme paints a vivid picture of a posthuman metabolism, wherein nature undergoes a transformative process in and around both human and non-human entities (Garratt, Haff 2010). The artworks become a reflective lens through which the complex interplay between human activities, material extraction, and the altered landscapes of the Anthropocene unfolds.
