Ultradistancia Releases "Monsters of Mine", a New Series of Satellite Imageries

Written by Christele Harrouk
Published on July 03, 2020

Created by Argentinian photographer and visual artist Federico Winer, Ultradistancia, the fine art project based on high-resolution satellite images, has released its latest series “Monsters of Mine”. Showcasing pictures of large mines from all over the world, "Monsters of Mine" reveals a fascinating carved out topography.

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CADIA (New South Wales. Australia). Image © Ultradistancia

Depicting curious creatures, Ultradistancia’s newest series “Monsters of Mine” exposes high-resolution satellite images of open-pit mines, abandoned mines sites, and large mining operations from all over the world. Russian diamond and North American iron ore, Australian gold, Argentine silver or North Caledonian nickel, and many other mines, reveal their mass plan configurations and their alterations in the topography. In fact, each of the featured mines carves out differently the landscape, generating a distinct monster “composed of Earth’s depth treasures”.

PROMINENT HILL (South Australia, Australia). Image © Ultradistancia

When I look up to the sky I see gods, when I look down to earth I discover monsters. But gods are not necessarily good nor monsters bad, they are just puzzled about us, humans, staring at them from here. -- Federico Winer

KIRUNA (Lapland, Sweden). Image © Ultradistancia

Always in search of incredible patterns and geometries, naturally made by Mother Nature or produced by people, Ultradistancia is an invitation to discover from above, hidden forms from our human perception. These satellite imageries offer the possibility to hover the earth and acquire unusual perspectives. With “Monsters of Mine”, Winer adds “the encounter of animal, anthropomorphic and monster-ish figures in the places where the hand of the man has drastically altered the terrain”.

SIERRITA (Arizona, USA). Image © Ultradistancia

Being able to mutate the mining activity into beautiful monsters allows me to reflect on how much we need and love the same things that can sometimes affect us. We love our monsters. […] Took me a little perspective, a higher ground and a more accurate eye to start finding the MONSTERS OF MINE. Once discovered it will be impossible not to see them from now on. -- Federico Winer

DAUNIA _ POITREL (Queensland, Australia). Image © Ultradistancia

Created through digital crafts techniques, Federico Winer highlights beautiful monstrous figures that are revealed on the earth's surface. Actually, the artists states that “each of the pieces of the Monsters of Mine series is a real open-pit mine captured by the satellites, manually worked without altering the original topography of the ground, to isolate the figures and creates the characters and personalities that are revealed”. Moreover, in collaboration with Google, an exclusive series of the project were produced to be accessed through the new Google Earth.