High Arctic

Set in 2100AD, High Arctic is a monument to an Arctic past which invites us to think about human impact in the Arctic region and contemplate its fragility, its beauty, and its scale.

High Arctic by UVA
National Maritime Museum, Greenwich
14 July 2011 – 8 January 2012

Based on UVA Creative Director Matt Clark’s experience of our 2010 Art & Science Expedition to Svalbard, United Visual Artists bring their installation High Arctic to the brand new Sammy Ofer wing of the National Maritime Museum, Greenwich.

Conceived as a response to the expedition, High Arctic uses a combination of sound, light and sculptural forms to create an abstracted Arctic landscape for visitors to explore. Created as a monument to the Arctic past, set 100 years into the future, the installation conveys the scale, beauty and fragility of the Arctic and invites us to reflect on our own relationship with the environment. Using a UV torch to interact with animations, visitors will discover 3,000 glaciers that will have melted by the end of this century and be confronted with human impact to this environment over the course of history.

Fragments of The Farewell Glacier, a commissioned poem by Nick Drake, work together with the visual to create an immersive experience. The installation is based on UVA founder Matt Clark’s Cape Farewell expedition to Svalbard which he took with Nick Drake in September 2010.

Watch David Buckland and Matt Clark in conversation
Hear Nick Drake read The Farewell Glacier
About the 2010 Expedition



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