The story of Nowhereisland began in 2004, when artist Alex Hartley discovered an island (Nyskjaeret) which had been revealed from the melting ice of a retreating glacier in the High Arctic archipelago of Svalbard, whilst on a Cape Farewell expedition. Alex was the first human to ever stand on it and with the help of the Norwegian Polar Institute registered the island on all future maps and charts.
In September 2011, Alex returned to the Arctic with an expedition team formed from some of the UK’s brightest minds. He retrieved the island territory, with the permission of the Governor of Svalbard, and on reaching international waters officially declared Nowhereisland a nation. Nowhereisland will embark upon its 500 mile journey in Weymouth at the opening of the Olympic Games on 25th July 2012 and will conclude in Bristol for the finale of the Cultural Olympiad on 9th September 2012.
About the artist
Alex Hartley works primarily with photography, often incorporating it into sculpture and installation, Hartley’s work explores new ways of physically experiencing and thinking about our constructed surroundings — through surface and line, scale and materials, locations and contexts. His practice is wide ranging, comprising wall-based sculptural photographic compositions, room-sized architectural installations and, more recently, photographic works with sculptural elements inserted as low-relief into the surfaces of large-scale colour prints. Uniting these works is an investigation of modern architecture and the ways in which it is conceived and presented. Hartley has shown his work in both national and international exhibitions at venues including Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh (2007), Natural History Museum (2006), Distrito Cuatro, Madrid (2003), The National Museum of Art, Osaka, Japan (2001) and the Louisiana Museum of Modern Art, Denmark (2000). Hartley is represented by Victoria Miro Gallery, UK.
Funders and supporters
Nowhereisland is an Artists Taking the Lead project, part of the London 2012 Cultural Olympiad. It is produced by Situations and funded by Arts Council England. We also gratefully acknowledge the support of the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Royal Norwegian Embassy and Nicky Wilson Jupiter Artland.
