Vetta e Abisso: Carrara | Environmental Resistance
Vetta e Abisso, which in English translates as Summit & Abyss, is a one-off project documenting the famous white marble quarries of Carrara, Tuscany. Unlike most research projects here the phenomenon of over-mining is presented as a syntesis of environmental science data and photography. Althought extensive mining operations are altering the micro-climate and natural ecosystems, mines are increasingly drilling into the Alps in a bid to hollow them out from the inside.
While whole mountains quite literally disappear…
The series of photographs by Environmental Resistence begins at the summit of the Apuan Alps, before descending into the marble quarries, and culminating finally in the pulverisation of the rock as fragment and dust. Over one hundred marble quarries operate in the Carrara locality, and it is commonplace for illegal mining to take place in areas designated as National Park land due to the profitability of the stone. Marble of a lesser quality is also pulverised and sold as a textural agent in a variety of beauty products, such as toothpaste and face creams.
