Projects

The Arctic Perspective Initiative

Arctic Perspective highlights the cultural, geopolitical and ecological significance of the Arctic and its indigenous cultures. In collaboration with the people of Igloolik and other communities in Nunavut, Canada, artists and architects are devising a mobile media and living unit and infrastructure, powered by renewable energy sources, which can be used for nomadic dwelling environmental monitoring and media based work “on the land”, away from the establisehd Arctic settlements.

API is the brainchild of artists Marko Peljhan and Matthew Biederman.

The API project website is at www.arcticperspective.org, giving details of the process of the project, including the team’s visits to Igloolik, Foxe Basin and other Inuit communities in Nunavut, Arctic Canada, the international open architecture competition to design the media unit, and the construction of the prototype unit.
Publications

A series of publications, covering key ideas in the various fields: architecture, circumpolar culture, open source technologies/remote sensing, are being produced.

Cahier No. 1: Architecture (ISBN 978-3-7757-2679-5) is now available - order online here

Cahier No. 2: Geopolitics & Autonomy (ISBN 978-3-7757-2681-8) - order online here

Cahier No. 3: Technology (ISBN 978-3-7757-2682-5) - to come

Cahier No. 4: Landscape (ISBN 978-3-7757-2680-1) - to come

Past Events

Exhibitions

Arctic Perspective, London
21 May - 30 September 2010
Canada House, Trafalgar Square, London, UK
The Arctic Perspective exhibition at Canada House shows film and photographic documentation of the API project, including specially commissioned architectural models of the winning entries from an international open design competition for the mobile unit, which received more than 100 entries from over 30 countries. The winning unit architectural designs are by Richard Carbonnier (Canada), Catherine Rannou (France) and Giuseppe Mecca (Italy). Presented in conjunction with the London Festival of Architecture.

Arctic Perspective, Dortmund
18 June - 10 October
HMKV Phoenix Halle, Dortmund, Germany
A large-scale exhibition of Arctic Perspective, organsed by HMKV, is being held in Dortmund in the framework of European Capital of Culture RUHR 2010 and the international media-art conference ISEA 2010. The exhibition focuses on the notions of architecure, geopolitics, autonomy, technology and landscape. As well as documentation from the API project, the exhibition also features other positive nothern initiatives that reflect the values of API.

Contemporary Nomadism: Autonomy & Technology in the North (Discussion event)
20 May 2010, Canada House, London
Artists, academics and architects explore the API’s cultural, historical and political contexts. Panel: Marko Peljhan, artist and instigator of Arctic Perspective Initiative, director Projekt Atol (Slovenia), David Turnbull, science sociologist (Australia), Richard Carbonnier, architect (Canada), Inke Arns, curator, artistic director HMKV (Germany). Chair: Michael Bravo, Scott Polar Research Institute (UK/Canada)

Arctic Perspective Open Space Conference
24-26 September 2010, PHOENIX Halle, Dortmund, Germany

The API open space conference will gather some of the most dynamic thinkers from and on the circumpolar regions and the open source technology and tactical media communities in an intense three-day situation involving critical debate and reflection. Some events open to the public.

API is 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