As part of the closing weekend of The Island, the Mine, and the Resistance Gardens, Fotogalleriet welcomes Erik Hagen, Director of the Norwegian Support Committee for Western Sahara (Støttekomiteen for Vest-Sahara, SKVS), for a mediated visit.

For the past 20 years, Hagen has followed Morocco’s occupation of Western Sahara, with a particular focus on the export of phosphate rock from the territory and the involvement of international corporations in the trade. In his presentation, he will explain the importance of phosphate rock and examine which corporations, including companies in Norway, have profited from its trade. Hagen has a background in investigative journalism and geography.

The visit connects Hagen’s long-standing work on Western Sahara and resource extraction with the exhibition’s exploration of phosphate as a material and political agent.