About
An exhibition of photographs, videos, maps and architectural models from work by the Arctic Perspective Initiative curated by The Arts Catalyst. This international collaborative project aims to empower local citizens of the North via open and free media, communications and environmental monitoring technologies
The Arctic Perspective Initiative is an international group of artists, designers and media workers, led by artists Marko Peljhan and Matthew Biederman with collaborators Nejc Trost, Samo Stopar, Andrej Bizjak and August Black together with Miha Bratina and Ziga Testen. Partners include HMKV (Germany), Projekt Atol (Slovenia), C-TASC (Canada), Lorna (Iceland) and The Arts Catalyst (UK).
Arctic Perspective highlights the cultural, geopolitical and ecological significance of the Arctic and its indigenous cultures. The London exhibition presents work from the project's collaboration with the people of Igloolik, Kinngait, Iqaluit, Mittimatalik and Kanngiqtugaapik in Nunavut, Canada, and other Arctic communities. The focus of this work is the design of a habitable mobile media unit, and infrastructure, to be powered by renewable energy sources. Designed to be used by Inuit and other people of the Arctic for creative media production such as filmmaking, communications and monitoring the environment, the unit's mobility is essential for those living away from settlements for periods of up to two weeks, moving, living and working on the land.
The exhibition will showcase documentation of the project's development, including photographs and films from the team's trip in summer 2009 made with Igloolik elders and Isuma TV, re-visiting former settlements around the Foxe basin. Specially commissioned models of designs from the 103 submissions to Arctic Perspective international open architecture competition by joint winners Richard Carbonnier (Canada), Catherine Rannou (France) and Giuseppe Mecca (Italy), will also be displayed. The first prototype is scheduled to be built and tested during the summer of 2010. Progress can be followed on www.arcticperspective.org.
Contemporary Nomadism: Autonomy & Technology in the North
Thursday 20 May 2010, 4.30 6.30pm, opening event/talk
Introducing the international project behind the Arctic Perspective exhibition, a panel of artists, academics and architects explore its cultural, historical and political contexts: Marko Peljhan, artist and instigator of Arctic Perspective Initiative (Slovenia), David Turnbull, science sociologist (New Zealand), Richard Carbonnier, architect (Canada), Inke Arns, curator (HMKV Germany), Chair: Michael Bravo, Scott Polar Research Institute (Canada)
HMKV Phoenix Halle, Dortmund, Germany
Exhibition 18 June-10 October 2010. Conference 8-10 July 2010
Part of the European Capital of Culture RUHR 2010 and ISEA 2010
Publications: A series covering key ideas in the fields of architecture, circumpolar culture, open source technologies/remote sensing will be published during 2010.
Supported by the European Commission Culture 2007 Programme, City of Dortmund, Federal Centre for Civic Education, Ministry of Culture of the Republic of Slovenia, City of Ljubljana, Arts Council England, Canadian High Commission
The Arts Catalyst is the contemporary art organisation that makes bridges between artists and scientists as they address issues about our changing world. See www.artscatalyst.org
