Arctic'stique expedition ⛵️

ARTISTIC, POLAR AND MOVING RESIDENCY

Since 2016, the Marémotrice association has been setting up an artistic residency on board their sailing boat, the Knut. The boat, which is usually used as accommodation and transportation, is transformed for a month into a floating art studio space. Today, in 2022, we are the 5th artistic crew to embark. Our objective? Observe, document and question the world around us.

THE PROJECT :

On July 10th, we, four artists and amateur sailors, join the Captain and his first mate at the port of Ísafjörður, in the North-West of Iceland. We board the Knut, a 15-meter steel sailboat (125m2 sail area upwind), totally carbon-free, thanks to it’s innovative system of solar panels, lithium iron phosphate batteries, wind power and hydro-generation via the engine that replaced an old Fiat diesel in 2019.

After a few instructions about life on board, we are taking out the mainsail and we are gliding downwind. We are leaving for 48 hours of sailing towards the East coast of Greenland. We quickly cross the Arctic Circle and found ourselves without any land on the horizon.

While the night is only half-light, under an eternal sun, we wander 3 weeks in the middle of the icebergs, drifting from the ice cap. Inspired by the landscapes we are crossing and what we live together, our presence will give rise to sound and visual experiments. The objective, for us, is to question the relationship we have with the living of this planet and to reflect on the climatic stakes that overwhelm us.

On August 5th, after this adventure in salty water, we set foot again in Iceland. Eyes full of stars, ready to share our stories with you, we have landed. We are back in Ísafjörður!

THE ARTISTS ON BOARD.

• ALEXIA TURLIN, visual artist, curator, teacher, mountain guide based in Geneva and Valais. She likes to talk with ice cubes and draw on little pieces of papers. Website : Alexia Turlin

• CÉCILE FOUILLADE (Siqou), ceramic artist in Paris, she loves seals and modeling animal furs in porcelain. Website: Cécile Fouillade

• CÉLINE DUCRET, multimedia artist, she likes embroidering lines, eating mandarins and talking about colors. Website: Céline Ducret

• FABIAN BRANAS, illustrator and photographer living on the shores of Lake Geneva, he likes skateboarding on Sundays and his favorite color of the moment is turquoise. Website : Fabian Branas

WE NEED YOU.

The total budget for the expedition is CHF 20’000 * for the four of us.

CHF 12’000 are already secured from different sources (grants and private funds) and now we need your help for the remaining CHF 8’000 .

If we exceed the requested amount of CHF 8’000, the ’extra’ money will be use to finance the launch of the projects that will follow the residency, publications and exhibitions.

We thank you in advance for your support and hope to see many of you participate with us in this polar, artistic and travelling adventure.

*Costs include: depreciation of the boat, port taxes, insurance (mandatory), polar bear defense equipment (individual rockets, ammunition and depreciation of the two rifles), fuel (wood and gas for the engine, cooking and heating), food for one month and satellite communication equipment.