Deep Dive: Colombian Gold Mining

Exhibition & Conversation: Colombian Gold Mining

What does gold truly cost? 
In Colombia’s Chocó province, where lush river landscapes conceal complex realities, gold mining sits at the intersection of survival, exploitation, and environmental harm. This event brings together art and expert insight to explore a place where poverty, opportunity, and violence are deeply intertwined.

Aarhus-based artist Kristina Aurora Bentzen presents a body of photographic and mixed-media work developed during her journey along the Atrato River in 2023. Her practice offers a quiet, reflective entry point into communities shaped by mining, capturing both human resilience and the fragile ecosystems affected by mercury pollution.

In conversation with Bentzen, Gabriela Factor, Chief Adviser on Human Rights, Tech and Business at the Danish Institute for Human Rights, will expand on the broader social and political context. Drawing on her extensive experience with environmental and human rights issues, including artisanal and industrial mining in Colombia, she will shed light on the structures and consequences behind the images.

Together, the exhibition and discussion invite audiences to consider how global demand for resources connects to local realities, and how art can deepen our understanding of these urgent challenges.

The discussion will be held in English.