Through June 8, Swiss Camera Museum in Vevey, Switzerland, presents Mining Photography: The Ecological Footprint of Image Production. Designed by Museum für Kunst und Gewerbe in Hamburg and curated by Boaz Levin and Esther Ruelfs, this thought-provoking exhibition explores how the history of photography has included — since its inception in the early 19^th century — a reliance upon copper, silver and fossil fuels like bitumen and carbon once used to produce images on copper plates and salted paper prints.

© Jürgen Fiedrich Mahrt

By the end of the 20^th century, the photographic industry had grown to one of the largest users of silver, and its use in photographic production accounted for more than half of the entire world’s consumption of this metal. Now, with the proliferation of digital photography and associated reliance on mobile devices, there is a growing demand for different rare elements and metals including coltan, cobalt and europium.

This new exhibit includes an array of contemporary artistic works, historical photographs and interviews to examine photography’s industrial side. In addition, there’s a parallel exhibit commemorating the 100^th anniversary of Leica Camera, also on view until June 8 off site at Place du Marché in Vevey. This side exhibit is a tribute to Italian photographer Davide Monteleone, recipient of the 2024 Leica Oskar Barnack Award.

© Studio Davide/Monteleone

Swiss Camera Museum’s special presentation of Monteleone’s series Critical Minerals – Geography of Energy delves into the controversial mining of copper, lithium and cobalt in locations within Chile, Indonesia and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Monteleone gives a lecture in English on this topic May 22 at 6 p.m. Reservations are required. Museum hours are Tuesday–Sunday, 11 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.