Cape Farewell

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Brian Jungen

Artist 

Brian Jungen joined Cape Farewell on the 2007 Art/Science Expedition. Taking almost three weeks the expedition crossed the north Atlantic to the extreme frontline of climate change, then sailed south to explore East Greenland’s Blosseville Coast.

Brian is a key figure in Vancouver's art community. In 2006, an exhibition of Jungen's work was held at Vancouver Art Gallery and in the UK, Jungen exhibited People's Flag at the Tate Modern. Jungen's practice re-crafts modern commodities into sculptural objects, entertaining a dialogue between his first-nation ancestry, the global economy and the object of art.

Brian's art draws upon the tradition of 'found art,' espoused by such twentieth-century artists as Andy Warhol and Marcel Duchamp. Instead of presenting objects 'as-is', however, he often reworks them without fully concealing their original meaning or purpose.

The Nike footwear that Brian had employed incorporates in their unmodified forms similar colours to traditional First Nations artwork and wood carvings: red and black. However, other projects, such as a series of wooden pallets, painstakingly crafted out of red cedar, a First Nations tent made out of '11 leather couches' and Brian's large 'whale-bone' sculptures made out of plastic chairs (some still with Canadian Tire price stickers on them) seek to defamiliarise even members of Western society that are unfamiliar with First Nation themes by placing familiar objects in unfamiliar positions or situations and vice versa.

Latest News

RPS Awards Shortlist

Tim Sutton’s Unplugged, Winning the Clay has been shortlisted for an RPS Award

Carbon 12 Exhibition

Save the Date: Cape Farewell's Carbon 12 exhibition opens on 3 May in Paris. It's an exciting mix of art commissions, with the artists working in close relationship with scientists. The exhibition runs 4 May - 16 September 2012 at the Espace Foundation EDF. Find out more ›

Poetry by Nick Drake

Acclaimed author and Cape Farwell voyagers Nick Drake, launches his new collection of poetry, The Farewell Glacier. The poems grew out of his journey to the Arctic.

Nature Journal

David Buckland's feature article 'Climate is Culture' has been published in the March issue of Nature Climate Change. Read about how Cape Farewell's approach has relevance to the discussion about our future.

Goodbye Arctic by Marina Moskvina

Russian novelist Marina Moskvina has just published her book on the 2010 Arctic Expedition with Cape Farewell. Illustrated by Leonid Tishkov, the book captures the voyage and questions the future of the Arctic.

Without Boats, Dreams Dry Up

An exhibition of 20 emerging artists and designers who have participated in Cape Farewell's SHORTCOURSE / UK; a 3-day urban expedition in London. Exhibition runs 24 Feb to 29 March.

U-n-f-o-l-d in Liverpool

Our exquisite exhibition U-n-f-o-l-d is back in the UK and opens on 8 March at John Moores University in Liverpool. If you miss the opening, come to the closing event on 24 April, which starts off the next SHORTCOURSE/UK expedition. Find out more ›

Reality of Change

On 15 March, together with TckTckTck and the UK Youth Climate Coalition, Cape Farewell invites you to a ‘Reality of Change’ evening at the Dana Centre, with architect Sunand Prasad, campaigner Martin Kirk and others who will present and discuss ideas around (climate) change.

Transmitting the daily blogs by satelite phone in rough seas during the 2007 Art/Science Expedition
Brian Jungen at the helm of the Noorderlicht during the 2007 Art/Science Expedition
Brian Jungen on iceberg watch as the Noorderlicht navigates the Greenland Sea during the 2007 Art/Science Expedition
Brian Jungen at the helm of the Noorderlicht

Brian Jungen at the helm of the Noorderlicht during the 2007 Art/Science Expedition.