80+1 Kilpisjärvi (FI) / Linz (AT)

June-July-August 2009

The Finnish BioArt Society is a participant in 80+1 A Journey Around the World, a virtual tour in the spirit of Jules Verne organized by the renowned media centre Ars Electronica Center  in Linz, Austria. The venture poses 20 crucial questions about our collective future visiting 20 emblematic locations in different parts of the globe. Kilpisjärvi is an exemplary location for questions on climate change as the issue is central to the exceptional long-term studies and research carried out by the Kilpisjärvi Biological Station of Helsinki University (Faculty of Biosciences).

photo Antero Järvinen 2008

80+1 Kilpisjärvi stems from Kilpisjärvi’s unique, subarctic environment and nature, the scientific research the station performs and from the newly initiated program bringing art and science together by the cooperation between the Finnish Bioart Society and the Biological Station.

The 80+1 Kilpisjärvi program interweaves artistic and scientific initiatives.

The “Midnight Sun” is a live stream of the arctic midnight sun from Kilpisjärvi that will shine elsewhere in the world via the internet and onto the Ars Electronica building façade in Linz during the city’s dark summer nights. Following sundown on seven consecutive nights (July 15th – 21st), the midnight sun will be reflected on the Museum of the Future’s shell.

80 + 1 Kilpisjärvi will host a four day conference 15.-18.7 open for participation via the global window in Linz and via stream online (at www.kilpiscope.net). During the four days researchers will present a
variety of issues about climate change in the arctic and globally. The themes vary from animal adaptability to societies’ preparedness to a changing environment. The audience has the opportunity to pose questions and  discuss climate change with experts. The afternoon offers a video-screening program of artistic approaches related to the topic of climate change. The works are screened on the Global Window in Linz (Hauptplatz). Artists included are for example, Ilkka Halso / Museum of Nature, Tarja Trygg / Solargraphy, Agnes Denes / Tree Mountain, Marjukka Korhonen, Heini Aho, and Leena Valkepää.

Water flea circus – a peepshow on ecology is on the second day of the program (16.7) and is a performative event that puts the focus on water-fleas, research, and its significance to our environment. Researcher Iris Zellmer from Germany 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.
This 4-days of program will be streamed online via www.kilpiscope.net and broadcasted to 80+1-stage, Global Window in Linz.
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80 + 1  – A Journey around the World is the Ars Electronica Centre’s input into the Linz City celebrations as a European Capital of Culture 2009. The venture focuses on questions concerning the future of humanity and the planet. Researches, artists, philosophers, journalists and specialists in various fields as well as ordinary citizens are challenged to join the project. Linz is the hub of a virtual trip to 20 spots spanning the globe.  Discussions and other interactions including visual and artistic media are carried out via internet connections between the city central square and the other partners in the venture between 17.6.-6.9.2009. Artistic performances and works are specifically produced for the project. Activities range from time-slotted, hosted discussions to continuously visible art works. Each of the chosen places represents a central question we are faced with in the future, such as biodiversity, aging, growth and so on. http://www.80plus1.org/

Kilpisjärvi has been selected as a location epitomizing one of the most demanding questions about the future, namely climate change. This is an issue central to the scientific research performed by The University of Helsinki’s  Kilpisjärvi Biological Station.

Midnight sun in the end of June 2009, Kilpisjärvi