International Resources Ltd.
Image: International Minerals Ltd. (Mr. Kato’s office), Arusha, Tanzania. 2008.
This mixed media and analogue photography paper-cut collage of the manager’s office (with magazine cutouts on the wall), and a model wearing a dress designed by Adama Kai, a fashion designer from Sierra Leone, photographed by Katrina Manson, takes part of my documentary style art photography project Tanzania Unlimited Ltd (2008). See more work of the project on my main art photography website www.mathildejansen.com/tanzania-unlimited-ltd.
This photo work also takes part of the series from Economica Tanzania Unlimited Ltd. (Business as Unusual), International Museum of Women (IMOW), USA.
On this page I’ll share some reportage photographs made during my (research for) art photography project Tanzania Unlimited Ltd, combined with relevant quotes of news media on the exploitation of international minerals, as I’ve been reading a lot about it and I’d like to share a few fragments.
Please visit my website mathildejansen.com to explore artistic perspectives on this matter, including documentary style staged photographs on the growing economy of Tanzania. Is it real of surreal? Who can tell as longs as international news media often ignore imagery of upcoming African economies? I’ve been playing with this blind spot in conceptual and open ways. Yet below you’ll find a selection of realistic photographs only, of mining companies in Tanzania. One of my camera’s crashed in a mine due to the humidity, so please don’t be too concerned about perfect image quality.
Mathilde
“I am an enthusiastic media consumer, a world traveler, and a curious citizen, and yet I was ignorant about Africa’s economy. What do I know about African business? What does it look like? I decided to create a series of images that portray Tanzania’s economy, to learn more and add new dimensions to the popular image of Africa and African business. Tanzania’s economic development increases opportunities for its citizens. More Tanzanians are starting their own companies, and some foreign companies offer career opportunities for skilled local staff. The project also reflects on the challenge of balancing the interests of local communities with those of international companies. In a world where the condition of one country’s economy has major effects on the global economy, it’s essential that we recognize Tanzania for its economically varied profile and the modern, multicultural, thriving, and even progressive country that it is.”
Mathilde Jansen, art photographer
Source: www.imow.org
‘The discovery of Tanzanite is something of a mystery. There are numerous African stories as to how Tanzanite was discovered. The most popular story is that a Maasai warrior is reported in 1967 to have found a translucent crystal at the foot of Mount Kilimanjaro. He was fascinated by its blue-violet hue. The warrior shared his find with a prospector, who was searching for rubies at the time. The prospector believed he had found a vibrant sapphire, neither the prospector nor the Maasai warrior had any idea that they had stumbled upon a new gemstone. It was found that the crystal had a composition that was more complex than a sapphire and had a colour that was more intriguing, more alluring, and more exotic than any other gemstone. It was a thousand times rarer than a diamond.’
Source: squidoo.com
News on other natural resources found in Tanzania (2012)
While the credit crisis hits the world, Tanzania’s business people, investors and politicians are discussing newly discovered (exclusive) gold, uranium, gas and oil. And the way the society could benefit, so the economic growth could lead to better facilities such as modern infrastructure, better health care and education.
‘Tanzania’s president has invited investors from the United Arab Emirates to join the rush for oil and gas in the east African nation, after recent gas discoveries along its coastline, the president’s office said on Saturday. Together with oil finds in neighboring Kenya and Uganda, significant gas finds in southern Tanzania have raised the profile of the region in the global energy industry.’
Source: Al Arabiya News, 09 June 2012 – http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/06/09/219576.html
Dr. Mapaba Ruzemvya states (2012-02-11):
‘Tanzania’s huge gas discovery is indeed welcome news. Gas is one of the major source of energies that is cheaper and less pollutive than oil. The gas will certainly make huge contribution to the economy and is expected to positively impact on the lives of many Tanzanians. Gas for development should be the theme and every effort should be made to minimize corruption around this new hope for Tanzania to exit itself from poverty. Tanzanians know too well about corruption and how only few are likely to benefit from this new discovery. Tanzania must learn from Ghana, Norway and few other countries who use natural resources for development and as a way to change peoples’ lives. Tanzania must also know that countries like Nigeria,Sudan are living examples of how such new discovery can bleed bloodshed and bring civil wrath and wars. Tanzania must therefore make every effort to put its PEOPLE FIRTS and use wisely the revenues for the development of the whole nation.’
Images: Merelani Hills, 2008 (part of project Tanzania Unlimited Ltd.)
