the beauty of coal

Arts on the Air | 03.09.2008 | 05:30

Artists reveal the beauty of coal in Dortmund exhibition

Großansicht des Bildes mit der Bildunterschrift: "Black Noise", von Eric Herbin und Cléa Coudsi, France at the exhibition "COAL"

There isn’t really anything artistically appealing about coal. It’s black and dusty and comes from deep in the earth. But a group of artists are turning that idea on its head.

Late last year, during the deep, cold winter, a group of artists travelled to the mining areas in three separate European countries. There they experienced mining – not just in the mines themselves, but in and around the communities the mining industry has spawned. From there the artists spent six months moulding their experiences into artwork; displaying their labours to the communities they visited.

Report: Mark Mattox