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German photographer Tom Hegen’s forthcoming book The Mineral Age brings together 247 photographs made over six years documenting mineral extraction linked to the shift away from fossil fuels. The project shows sites including lithium evaporation ponds in Chile and nickel and cobalt mines in Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo; the book’s publisher is Hatje Cantz.
German photographer Tom Hegen is publishing The Mineral Age, a book of 247 photographs documenting mining sites and communities connected to the shift away from fossil fuels. Made over six years and published by Hatje Cantz, the aerial images show extraction landscapes in places including Chile, Indonesia, the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Australia, drawing attention to the environmental and social costs that can accompany demand for minerals used in energy technologies.
The photographs include lithium evaporation ponds in Chile’s Atacama Desert, a nickel open-pit mine near rainforest in Indonesia’s Sulawesi, and artisanal cobalt mining in Kolwezi, in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Other locations pictured include Australia’s Mount Weld rare-earth mine and mines in Arizona and New Mexico. The source report describes the images as a record of landscapes transformed by extraction; it does not provide a detailed account of the effects on each community or site.
Hegen told Colossal that he began the project after noticing the concentration of key resources in a relatively small number of countries. He said that concentration can create geopolitical dependencies and vulnerabilities, while extraction carries environmental and social consequences that receive limited public attention. These are Hegen’s observations about the project, rather than findings from a separate impact study presented in the report.
According to Colossal, ClimateWorks estimates that meeting energy demand will require mining 6.5 billion tons of cobalt, copper, lithium, nickel and other materials before 2050. The report does not explain the estimate’s methodology or define precisely which materials are included beyond those examples. Hegen’s book approaches that debate through photographs rather than a quantified assessment of the transition’s overall costs.
Mining’s Place in the Energy Shift
The book addresses a tension within efforts to reduce reliance on fossil fuels: renewable energy systems and other low-carbon technologies also rely on materials that must be mined and processed. Images of large extraction sites make that physical supply chain visible, connecting products and infrastructure associated with decarbonisation to places where resources are obtained.
That connection matters because the benefits and burdens of the energy transition may fall in different places. Hegen’s photographs direct attention to communities living near mines, while his comments raise questions about resource concentration and the consequences of extraction. The project does not establish how those impacts compare across mining regions or energy technologies, but it brings them into the public discussion.
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Six Years Behind the Photographs
Hegen travelled for six years to photograph sites associated with mineral extraction. The source identifies locations across South America, Asia, Africa and Australia, as well as mines in the United States. His aerial approach presents the scale and layout of the sites, including evaporation ponds, open pits and terraced mines.
The report links the book’s concerns to work by Argentinian artist Tomás Saraceno with Indigenous communities in the Salinas Grandes region, where opposition to lithium mining is tied to protecting ancestral lands and underground resources. Colossal characterises Saraceno’s collaborative work as rooted in the land, in contrast with Hegen’s aerial perspective. The report does not give further details about the communities’ positions or the specific mining proposals involved.
The Mineral Age is available for pre-order through Bookshop and Kickstarter, according to Colossal. The source does not list a release date, price or full publication schedule.
““The pressing question, however, is at what cost—and who ultimately bears that cost?””
— Tom Hegen, speaking to Colossal
Publication and Impact Details
The source report does not state the book’s publication date, price or final availability, beyond saying it is available for pre-order. It also does not specify whether the 247 photographs are accompanied by reporting, community testimony or analysis of individual mines.
The ClimateWorks estimate is presented without its underlying assumptions, timeframe details beyond the 2050 deadline, or a breakdown by mineral and use. Hegen’s photographs document particular sites, but the material provided does not quantify their effects or establish that every pictured operation supplies minerals for a specific clean-energy product. Those distinctions remain important when interpreting the book’s broader subject.
Pre-Orders and Book Release
Readers can pre-order The Mineral Age through Bookshop or Kickstarter, according to the source report. No release date or additional launch events are specified there. Further publication details, including the book’s availability and any accompanying material, remain to be confirmed by the publisher or Hegen.
Key Questions
What is The Mineral Age?
It is a book by German photographer Tom Hegen, published by Hatje Cantz, containing 247 photographs of landscapes and communities associated with mineral extraction.
Which mining sites appear in the book?
The source names lithium evaporation ponds in Chile, a nickel mine in Indonesia, cobalt mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, a rare-earth mine in Australia, and mines in Arizona and New Mexico.
Is the book available to order?
Colossal says it is available for pre-order through Bookshop and Kickstarter. The source does not give a publication date or price.
Does the book argue against the energy transition?
Hegen says decarbonising economies and societies is necessary to address climate change. His stated concern is how the shift can happen without repeating harmful extractive practices and who bears the costs.
Source: rss
