|
Janet Biggs’ Arctic Project Project Description
During this voyage, I will use the awe-inspiring High Arctic as a stage for a new groundbreaking video piece. The work will incorporate images of human exertion and athleticism, incredible landscapes, music, and choreography. In October 2009, I will set sail on the Noorderlicht, a sailing ship built in 1910, from Longyearbyen on the remote Norwegian island of Spitsbergen. This is the latest voyage for the Noorderlicht, so the captain will decide on our route based on sea ice and weather. While on the expedition I will create a new artwork that explores the driving desire that compels some individuals to push themselves to their personal limits in remote lands.
I will also film moments of respite as she leaves the sailing ship and regains a fleeting sense of control by navigating a modern Inuit kayak through iceberg filled lagoons. As she slips between icebergs she will be joined by three other kayak paddlers. The four paddlers will then perform a choreographed kayak ballet - illustrating humanity’s search for successful harmony with nature and the absurd attempts made towards this goal. The Arctic kayak ballet will be videotaped both above and below water, including capturing kayak underwater rolls. I have enlisted Inuit and Norwegian members of the Svalbard kayak-polo team for the kayak performance. Before leaving for the Arctic, I will work with kayakers in New York to practice the movements, and also to learn to paddle in adverse situations. I will also work with dancers wearing kayak foam boat shapes to create and videotape the choreography on land. The video documentation will be posted on-line so that the Arctic paddlers can learn the pattern prior to my arrival. My role as witness to global warming’s impact on the Arctic and on the individuals struggling within that environment will help frame this project. By personal participation in extreme Arctic sea travel, I will expand my work both technically and conceptually.
Pre-trip activities To date I have:
Exhibition Opportunities Through the SCOPEfoundation, work by the Arctic Circle participants will be featured in SCOPE’s international exhibition schedule, traveling to major art fairs in North America, Europe, and Asia. Partial exhibitions schedule:
In addition, Janet Biggs’ Arctic Project will be exhibited at her New York gallery and as part of her mid-career survey at the Tampa Museum of Art. Her works have also typically been shown at major US and international museums and art institutions.
Images (some are artist's mockups) Location of voyage:
Project mockup S/V Noorderlicht, two-masted steel hulled schooner, built 1910
|
All images, videos, and texts on this site are protected by
copyright and may not be reproduced without permission. |