Main image: New Mineral Collective, production still from The Pleasure Report, 2025.
The K.M. Hunter Charitable Foundation is proud to support The Pleasure Report, an exhibition by New Mineral Collective (NMC), running from January 25 to March 22, 2025, at Mercer Union in Toronto.
NMC, the collaborative platform of artists Emilija Škarnulytė and Tanya Busse, examines the politics of desire within the extractive industry, challenging traditional perceptions of mining and resource consumption. Through their multidisciplinary work, they invite audiences to reconsider our relationship with natural resources and the ways they are valued, used, and exploited.
New Mineral Collective, studio image. Courtesy the artists.
For their exhibition at Mercer Union, The Pleasure Report, New Mineral Collective presents a new sculptural and sound installation that deepens their previous investigative work in Ontario, one of the richest resource areas in the world. Their previous research saw them operate as a counter prospecting corporation that acquired mineral prospecting licenses in order to subversively stake claims on parcels of land and prevent them from future extraction. This undercover work referenced non-violent disruptive tactics in climate activism and furthered the artists’ engagement with prospecting processes in the province. In The Pleasure Report, New Mineral Collective expands upon this artistic appropriation of mining industry practices through works that contemplate the concept of a “corporate toolbox.” What tools can be found in the counter prospector’s toolkit? How can these instruments be deployed upon the land in keeping with counter prospecting values?
This exhibition aligns with our Foundation’s commitment to supporting bold, innovative artistic practices that engage with urgent contemporary issues. By exploring the intersections of pleasure and extraction, The Pleasure Report raises critical questions about sustainability, environmental responsibility, and the narratives that shape our interaction with the Earth’s materials.
For more information, visit Mercer Union’s website.