Mineral Rights, 2015

Mineral Rights consists of the long procedure of acquiring the rights on iron ore deposits underground in order to prevent them from being extracted. In 2015 Lara Almarcegui procured the mineral rights of an iron deposit in Tveitvangen, not far from Oslo and later she secured the rights to another iron deposit in Buchkogel and Thal, near Graz. The mineral rights are exclusive and 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 our feet, the project raises the question of mineral extraction for the production of construction materials and brings to light questions of ownership of land and resources.

Lara Almarcegui (ES)
°1972

Lara Almarcegui’s projects analyze urban space by showing the origin of the constructed world and its building materials. With the aim to fully understand the dynamics of a chosen location, she investigates and engages with empty spaces, confronting the public with unknown aspects of a seemingly familiar terrain and illustrating processes of urban transformation. Working at a time of widespread urban renewal in European cities, she has been defending overlooked, forgotten sites, creating guides for the cities’ wastelands and even instigating their legal protection.  

With the intention of going further down and deepening the reflexion on the territory, the past and the origin of ‘the built’, in recent works, Almarcegui has delved into the question of ownership of the ground and the depths beneath it. The artist’s intention is not to exploit the resources but, rather, to draw attention to the fact that the subsoil is an integral part of the economic system that prevails on its surface.

Lara Almarcegui’s work was presented in group shows and major international events such as Lyon Biennale (2017), Wohnungsanfrage, HKW, Berlin ( 2015), Manifesta IX, Genk; TRACK, Gent (2012), Radical Nature, Barbican Art Centre London, Shenzhen and Athens biennale (2009), Taipei and Gwuangyu Biennale (2008), Sharjah Biennale (2007), The 27th São Paulo Biennial, San Paulo (2006) , the 2nd Seville Biennial, Seville (2006),  and Liverpool Biennale (2004). Recent solo exhibitions took place in Kunstverein Springhornhof, ( 2017), Gallery Mor Charpentier, Paris; Casino Luxembourg ( 2016) ; Kunsthaus Baselland ( 2015); Gemeente Museum Den Haag (2015); and the Spanish pavilion, 55th Venice Biennial. Lara Almarcegui lives and works in Rotterdam.