# Illegal Mining Photos The 'War for Minerals' Photos Investigates Illegal Mining in the Congo By Rahul Kalvapalle | Published 2015-10-03 | Art & Design Source: Trend Hunter, https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/illegal-mining References: [featureshoot](http://www.featureshoot.com/2015/09/a-look-inside-the-illegal-mining-industry-in-the-democratic-republic-of-congo/) & [erbertozani.photoshelter](http://erbertozani.photoshelter.com/gallery/War-for-minerals-D-R-Congo/G00004fJe_lAE164) War for Minerals is a very insightful photo series, put together by Erberto Zani, that is essentially a visual investigation of the illegal mining industry in the Democratic Republic of Congo. For this series, Zani depicted the men who mine for coltan, manganese and various other [rare metals](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/niobiumrich-carbonatite). Oftentimes, their work is performed under very dangerous and complicated physical and political conditions. The men who mine for these minerals are depicted to be barefoot and do not have unionized support of any kind. A variety of powerful players including buyers, soldiers and police are involved in the practice, making it even more hazardous. Ultimately, War for Minerals makes for a very eye-opening look into the world of illegal mining, and the men who have out of necessity allowed the industry to take over their lives. ## Trend Insights (Trend Hunter) - Score: 2.8/10 - Popularity: 47% | Activity: 30% | Freshness: 8% - Audience gender: 50% men, 50% women - Primary generations: Millennial, Gen X - Top markets: North America, Europe ## Categories [Trend Hunter](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends) > [Art & Design](https://www.trendhunter.com/artdesign) ## Key Themes ### Why This Trend Is Growing - **Illegal Mining:** Opportunity for developing technology solutions to detect and prevent illegal mining activities. - **Coltan Mining:** Potential for sustainable and ethical sourcing practices to address the environmental and human rights concerns associated with coltan mining. - **Artistic Investigation:** Growing interest in using art and visual storytelling to raise awareness and advocate for social and environmental issues. ### Industries Being Reshaped - **Mining:** Disruption opportunity to innovate and implement responsible and transparent mining practices. - **Technology:** Potential growth in the development and deployment of technology solutions for monitoring and regulating mining activities. - **Art and Photography:** Emerging market for artists and photographers who use their work to shed light on social and environmental injustices. ## Related on Trend Hunter - [Mining Industry Super Apps](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mining-super-app.md) - [Mindful Copper Furniture](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/whispers-of-a-trail.md) - [Sustainable Deep-Sea Harvesting Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/impossible-metals.md) - [Mineral-Enriched Coffees](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/danger-coffee.md) - [Transformed Mining Buildings](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mineless-heritage-restoration.md) - [Autonomous Mine Detection Robots](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/mine-detector-robot.md) - [Explosion-Damaged Sculpture Series](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/light-into-darkness.md) - [Ultra-Luxurious Collaborative Jewellery Lines](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/collaborative-jewellery.md) - [Plant-Mined Metal Rings](https://www.trendhunter.com/trends/h2er.md)