Abstract
Abstract
Mineral Rights consists of the long procedure of acquiring the rights on iron ore deposits underground in order to prevent them being extracted. In 2015 Lara Almarcegui procured the mineral rights of an iron deposit in Tveitvangen, not far from Oslo and later she got another iron deposit in Buchkogel and Thal, near Graz. The mineral rights are exclusive and mineral rights are granted from the subsoil to the center of the earth. Without extracting the iron, the project aims to call attention to the presence of minerals. It reminds us of how the territory is shaped at a geological level and how it is broken down and split into pieces for mine exploitation. While presenting what is below the feet in our contemporary cities and who owns it, the project raises the question of mineral extraction for the production of construction materials and it brings to light questions on land ownership and resources ownership.
Key Questions
1. What are mineral rights?
Mineral rights are legal rights to extract and profit from minerals found beneath a property. In this project, the artist acquired these rights to prevent extraction, highlighting issues of land and resource ownership[1]. 2. How does mining affect the environment?
The project indirectly addresses this by showing how territories are shaped and split for mine exploitation, raising awareness about the environmental impact of mineral extraction[2]. 3. What are natural resources?
The article focuses on iron ore deposits as a natural resource, demonstrating how these underground minerals are part of a territory's geological makeup and economic potential[3]. 4. Who owns the land?
The project brings to light questions about land ownership and resource ownership, highlighting the complexity of property rights that extend from the surface to the center of the earth[1][3]. 5. What is conceptual art?
While not explicitly defined, Almarcegui's project can be seen as a form of conceptual art that uses the acquisition of mineral rights as a means to provoke thought about resource exploitation and ownership[1][2].
