OLAF DüBER
Mars-Scapes to Moon-Scapes

The transition to renewable forms of energy leads to a large-scale conversion of landscapes of the Atacama Desert and the Altiplano of Chile, Bolivia and Argentina. Intense solar radiation and abundance of mineral resources make this region a hot spot for mining and preferred site for solar energy production. The facilities often form strict geometrical patterns in the barren surroundings. Thermal solar power plants are characterised by a mesmerising circular configuration of its mirrors. Lithium production creates colourful ponds, copper mining leaves giant waste heaps and extracted minerals are transported by trains that meander through the desert.
While these activities are part of the effort to soften the climate catastrophe, they extensively destruct the landscape. It is often emphasized how much the Atacama Desert resembles the landscapes of Mars, while destroyed landscapes are often called lunar landscapes. The effort to keep earth habitable transforms Mars-Scapes to Moon-Scapes

Author
Amateur photographer with an interest in fascinating and remote landscapes and dystopian lost places. Especially the combination of both give me photographical joy and inspiration by conveying a feeling of being lost not only in time but also in space.

Website
www.lostscapes.de

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