The Kirkenes-Nikel area comprises Kirkenes in northeastern Norway and Nikel in Russia, two border towns famous for their mining industries. In the past few decades, wars, mining and invasions have left many marks on the environment. By observing the history of Kirkenes-Nikel in combination with the geopolitical characteristics of the border area, this project explores mitigation strategies for the area’s geopolitical contradictions and environmental problems.

Scars, a mark, a memory. This project regards the human intervention inscribed in the landscape as scars. History, politics, culture, economy and ecology can be expressed in the environment through landscape scars. The mining industry, with its a long history, has deeply affected the environment, people's lives, and geopolitical relations in the area. The geopolitical conflicts intensified by mining cause people to consider the changes that human intervention can bring to the site today.