Kilpisjärvi

Credits: The Finnish Bio Art Society, Laura Beloff, Erich Berger, Prof.
Antero Järvinen, Anu Osva
Supported by: The Finnish Bio Art Society and the Kilpisjärvi Biological Station, Helsinki University
www.kilpiscope.net
Topic: Climate Change
Place: Kilpisjärvi Finnland / Finland

Kilpisjärvi is the site of a field research station whose aim is to promote biological and geographical research in the north and monitor meteorological, geographical and biological changes in this sub-arctic region. The station cooperates with many national and international research projects and other biological stations. Together with the Finnish Bioart Society, the University of Helsinki’s Biological Station have produced the following projects for 80+1.

A four day conference (July 15th-18th), which will be open for participation via the Global Window in Linz and via stream online  at www.kilpiscope.net. During the four days researchers will present variety of issues about climate change in the arctic and globally. The themes vary from animal adaptability to societies’ preparedness to changing environment. The audience has a possibility to pose questions and discuss climate change with the experts.

The midnight sun is a phenomenon that occurs only within the Arctic and Antarctic Circles at the respective hemisphere’s Summer Solstice. Throughout the summer months the sun shines even at midnight.  In conjunction with 80+1, this event can be viewed via live stream in Linz—or, to be more precise, on the façade of the Ars Electronica Center. Following sundown on seven consecutive nights (July 15th – 21st), the midnight sun will be reflected on the Museum of the Future’s shell. Live images from Kilpisjärvi will also remain on display at www.80plus1.org and www.kilpiscope.net until August 10th, 2009.

Now then, what do water fleas have to do with climate change? German researcher Iris Zellmer has spent years investigating the impact of climate change on water fleas in this sub-arctic region. Performance director Merja Talvela has linked with Zellmer to look at water flees with a view to engaging with the research through an artistic perspective. The scrutiny that water fleas undergo when under the microscope is turned on humans by posing questions about our human misconceptions and delusions when we examine nature. On July 16th, 2009 Merja Talvela will present Water Flea Circus - a performative peepshow on ecology, a collaborative work between the artist and the scientist Iris Zellmer.

The undergoing work of developing this event has generated another long-term initiative about climate change and climate issues directed for wide audiences. Climatescope is a Web 2.0 project that calls upon all internet denizens to take an active approach to the subject of climate change. For instance, you can post “Citizen Stories”—personal accounts, experiences, photos and videos having to do with climate change. “Citizen Science” goes into field research and assembles data yielded by the project’s own measurements or observations on the basis of recreated natural examples. And in “Citizen Sensor,” real-time data from throughout the world are collected, exchanged and disseminated. www.climatescope.net

The live video stream of the project can be viewed with the following player or from this link (using an external player):