My daughters will not see the same world I’ve seen in my lifetime,” Burtynsky says. “These photographs bear witness to change that is already underway—irreversible in some cases—and ask us to consider the legacy we are leaving behind.

Featuring images made between 2022 and 2024, Natural commodities draws a stark visual contrast between Earth’s untouched beauty and its transformation under industrial pressure. From the ancient, verdant rain forests of Washington State to massive cobalt mining operations in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the exhibition charts what Burtynsky describes as “a continuum—from pristine ecosystems to the engineered terrains shaped by human need.”

The exhibition includes new work from Burtynsky’s forthcoming series Mining: for the future, offering a rare and timely look at the extractive industries shaping tomorrow’s green economy and the race to global electrification. This collection of images—many captured by drone and stitched into hyper-detailed, panoramic compositions—depict both devastation and regeneration, particularly in places like Türkiye, where large-scale erosion control and reforestation are changing the landscape once again.

Also on view are majestic views of North America’s threatened wilderness: the Coast Mountains in British Columbia, Canada, where the shock of receding glaciers mark the frontlines of climate change; and Lake Mead in Nevada, whose reservoir has reached historic lows due to prolonged droughts paired with increasing urban demand. These images function as both documents and omens—urgent reminders of what we stand to lose if we continue to push nature too far. Natural commodities reveals the extraordinary tension between awe and reckoning that has defined Burtynsky’s work for over four decades.