Normally, visitors can look at the minerals from behind glass, but at this exhibition, they can touch and see the exhibits up close.

According to Veiko Karu, associate professor at the Department of Geology, preparations for the exhibition began a year ago and firstly, they met up with colleagues in Europe to make the ideas into reality. ‘Our goal is to provide a hands-on experience and exciting discoveries in earth sciences mainly to students,’ explained Karu, who said that the exhibition will provide answers to questions about how the universe and metals came about, and about the history of metals from the Big Bang to the present day, when they have become the basis of civilisation.

The exhibit provides a good overview of how much we use and consume items on a daily basis that are made of materials that have to be dug out of the earth.
The exhibition was created by universities and research institutions from five countries: University of Lorraine in France, FCT-Universidade Nova de Lisboa in Portugal, Czech Geological Survey, University of Oulu in Finland, and Tallinn University of Technology Museum and Department of Geology. After its first exhibition in Tallinn, it will become a traveling exhibition across Europe.

The exhibition is free of charge and will open on 17 October at the T1 Mall of Tallinn. The exhibition is being funded by the European Institute of Innovation and Technology (EIT) Raw Materials Innovation Network (EIT RAW MATERIALS) as part of the European project TravelEx, which aims to raise awareness of mineral resources and their value.

TalTech Department of Geology of is a part of Tallinn University of Technology’s School of Science, which combines natural sciences and engineering and educates mining professionals. Researchers at the Department are also exploring what raw materials Estonia will need in the future and what are the best technologies for mining them.