The salt world

Salt is inextricably linked to human history, as it is a natural resource, an economic driver, and a cultural symbol. Since ancient times, it has been used to preserve and store food. The Romans used salt in food, but also for religious rituals. Their soldiers received part of their pay in salt, the salarium, which gave rise to the word salary.

In the Middle Ages, the salt trade became extremely important, with salt routes crisscrossing Europe and Asia. Introduced in the 14th century, the gabelle tax reflects the interest that the authorities had in salt.

Salt Marshes
The production of sea salt is one of the oldest forms of human intervention in natural areas. Sea salt comes from the natural evaporation of seawater. The salinity of the ponds influences the color of the microorganisms, which ranges from light green to bright red. Salt ponds and salt marshes are home to many animal species.

Rock Salt
Millions of years ago, shallow seas and underground waterways evaporated, leaving behind layers of crystallized sodium chloride. Buried underground, these deposits (or evaporites) are mined in the form of rock salt.
It is a deposit, usually underground, of rock salt (halite), mined by humans. Some of them are protected by UNESCO. In Colombia, one of them houses a cathedral. In Yekaterinburg, Russia, one of the most beautiful salt mines on the planet has become famous for its walls colored by minerals.

The term salt desert or salt flat refers to a generally temporary lake with changing shores where salts precipitate as a result of evaporation, which is always greater than the water supply.

Creations
Salt marshes: Untitled, September 28, 2025 (United States), Untitled, October 15, 2023 (San Francisco Bay), Untitled, August 26, 2022; Untitled, March 20, 2021 Untitled, November 18, 2020; Untitled, January 18, 2020; Untitled, October 8, 2019; Untitled, August 12, 2019.
Salt desert: Untitled, January 4, 2025 (Danakil, Ethiopia),
Salt mine in Yekaterinburg, Russia: February 23, 2025; Untitled, November 29, 2020; Untitled, November 23, 2019.