By Kang Hye-rang
The JoongAng

A crimson stream flows across a wilderness with a winter forest in the distance. Its gentle curves resemble mud or a fragment of lava. This "red river," highlighted by the glistening white snow, is actually nickel tailings, a toxic waste product of the smelting of nickel, an essential mineral used in the manufacture of stainless steel, batteries, and other products. The dangers of industrial extracts, essential to modern life, returning to nature lurk within this picturesque landscape.

Canadian photographer Edward Burtynsky (70) is an artist who has gained international fame for capturing massive industrial sites and the natural landscapes they affect with his unique aesthetic. A retrospective exhibition titled “Burtynsky: Extraction/Abstraction,” which compiles 40 years of his work, opens on the 13th at the Seoul Museum of History and runs until March 2, 2026. A total of 85 items will be on display, including 49 large-scale photographs (148.59 cm wide x 198.12 cm high), eight ultra-high-resolution murals (up to 800 cm wide x 380 cm high), and related equipment and materials. This is his first large-scale exhibition in Asia, following those at the Saatchi Gallery in London and Venice last year.

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