Burning Ice is an account of the collaborative group Cape Farewell, lead by artist David Buckland, and their voyage to the high Arctic. The project aims to bring together artists, scientists, writers and musicians, in an attempt to bring the issue of global warming to public attention, using methods associated to their fields and practices.
The book includes texts, diary entries and images of the works created on the voyage, as well as a background on climate change, its effects on the polar ice caps, rising sea levels, and some basic oceanography. Artists include Antony Gormley, David Buckland, Rachel Whiteread, and Max Eastly amongst many others. This, and inputs from scientists and writers allows for a wide spectrum of work from sculpture, video, photography, sound and work which interacts with its immediate surroundings. The trip also aimed to create an experience which would be taken back with the practitioners and fuel further work.
The visual layout and information contained in the book are very good, although I’m not certain that the book fully relays the experience had by the participants of the voyage. Having met with members of the Cape Farewell team, I understand that this is one of their main aims. I believe this issue should be addressed, not only for the audience, but to justify such fuel costly excursions.
Since the release of Burning Ice, Cape Farewell has been on a number of expeditions including a major project to Peru and into the Amazon. The work that they are doing, and practitioners involved in the scheme makes them something of an authority in the cross over of art and climate change.
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