ARTELEKU

Project Description:
The location of this project lies in the Municipality of Qaasuitsup, NW Greenland, specifically, the Upernavik district. It is here that I have been engaged in assimilating, documenting and collating aural and visual data on the people and ecosystems that exist within the region in relation to the narwhal habitat and to the narwhal's place in Greenlandic history, legend and modern culture. Only now spending these 4 months in Greenland have I come to understand that much of the significance of the legend and modern culture behind the narwhal is interconnected with the people who reside in Greenland. As narwhals begin their migration routes heading south to their wintering grounds, the light becomes dimmer and the bay solidifies into dense ice during the months of December, January and February. The people spend their time in song waiting for the ice to solidify and the sun to rise once again. My hope in this project is to draw attention to the natural environment of Baffin Bay, the people that reside there and ecosystems that may be threatened or even faced with extinction.

Artist statement
In method, my artwork is very much inspired by my own life experiences, and I have developed a particular interest in how the surrounding environment informs it. My current work is perpetually informed by sound and sometimes by silence. I collect field recordings of natural sounds that occur in the environment and reinterpret this information by combining the material of glass, paper and found rocks coupled with elements of sound, photo, video, writing and the activity of listening. I create works of art that communicate a cultural analysis with references to nature. My hope is to draw attention to the natural environment and ecosystems that may be threatened or even faced with extinction. As civilization develops, the notion of silence becomes more difficult for the everyday person to distinguish, especially those living in urban areas. I feel the artist must take responsibility to highlight and bring attention to what is often left unheard or unseen.

 

 

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Timetable

18:00

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