Scarps - Artificial Landscape | 2010
The large surface mine of Garzweiler in North-Rhine Westphalia, Germany, produces up to 45 million tons of brown coal every year. In order to access the coal, huge bucket-wheel excavators have to move approximately 225 million tons of overburden per year. The excavators drop the coal onto conveyor belts running many kilometres to nearby power stations.
The area measures about 65 square kilometres and closely resembles lunarscape in some places. The excavators dig through various soil layers up to 200 metres deep and thus form abstract landscapes that differ enormously from the usual scenery in colour and structure. The huge machines create new scarps without cease and constantly move vast amounts of soil.
The artificial landscape is permanently changing.
