Gold Digging in Surinam Mark Nozeman Photography

Mark Nozeman (b 1971, Netherlands) graduated with a  BFA in photography and history from the St. Joost Academy of Fine Arts Breda in Rotterdam. He has worked extensively in Brazil, Latin America and Europe and has exhibited at The National Museum of Ethnology Leiden (NL), The Royal Tropical Museum, Amsterdam and SESC Pompeia, São Paulo, Brazil. Mark’s awards include the Dutch Silver Camera Award for the Cuban interior series. He has received project grants  from  the Anna Cornelis Foundation, Sem Presser Foundation and The Dutch Foundation for Fine Arts. He is currently working on a  long term project about the relationship between individual identity and nationality in the  shifting European identity of emerging generations in post conflict regions. His work has been published in NRC, De Volkskrant, Noticias, Trouw, De Fotograaf, Camera Austria and others. See for more Dwelling and Belonging, by Mark Nozeman ...

About the Photograph:

The indigenous population of Surinam were called Marrons until 20 years ago.. They did not exploit gold in their part of the Amazon forest. That all changed after the collapse of the Surinam economy due to conflicts ( ‘De Binnenlandse Oorlog’) between the government and the Jungle Commando of Ronnie Brunswijk. During the past ten years Surinam has been invaded by small well organized Brazilian groups called Garimpeiros (gold diggers). Most of them are living illegally in the forest. They came overland through the Amazon Jungle of Pará and Amapá. Pollution due to mercury is a disaster for the environment. Prostitution, robbery and murder are common. Malaria and sexual transmitted diseases are on the rise”.


See also Defending the Secret Slave State - Suriname ...