MINERALIA

This project was developed in for Water an independent exhibition held during the 2017 London Design Festival where designers were invited to make work in response to the topic of water.

We know the negative impacts our consumption of plastic has on waterways. But what about metals?

Drilling and blasting are the easiest ways of reaching the metals needed to make our products. But the valuable ore is often below groundwater basins and to extract them miners often pierce subterranean reservoirs, which feed local water supplies. Mines are often in very arid areas where people rely on well water for drinking and agriculture, effectively putting an enormous pressure on their way of living.

This project invites us to think about this issue, and is inspired by antique miner lamps which were powered by acetylene gas that is produced when water is mixed with a chemical compound called calcium carbide creating a bright flame.

The demand for metals to create products has never been higher. And with a growing world population, more water is needed. Therefore access to groundwater and its ownership is one of the most pressing issues of our time. We must therefore be conscious of what we buy and demand for regulation that forces manufacturers to produce durable and repairable products. As the future of water and mining are completely intertwined.