nowhereisland

nowhereisland is the winning Artists Taking the Lead 2012 Cultural Olympiad project for the South West of England.

In 2004, whilst participating in a Cape Farewell Arctic expedition, artist Alex Hartley discovered Nyskjæret, an island in the Norwegian High Arctic archipelago of Svalbard. The island had been revealed from within the melting ice of a retreating glacier and Alex was the first human to stand on it. The Norwegian Polar Institute has since recognised the island and included it on all maps and charts subsequent to its discovery.

Through the 2012 Cultural Olympiad programme, Alex will tour a scaled version of Nyskjæret along the ports and harbours of the South coast; moving one landscape through another, and conjuring visions of Arctic exploration and the fragility of a threatened environment. As nowhereisland, the floating sculpture will expand people’s view of what art can be and where it can take place, and as a work of land art, it will challenge perceptions and question assumptions about the location and subject matter for a work of art. nowhereisland will provide a platform to engage with issues raised by the project, exploring a sense of place through an epic, nomadic sculpture that will resonate in the public consciousness. In capturing the imagination of the public, it will address the most significant global issue of our time: namely how we can respond to the urgent issue of climate change together.

This epic journey will begin in June 2012 to coincide with the sailing events of the Olympic Games. As the landscape of nowhereisland moves through the landscape of the South coast of England, it will embody the spirit and values of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad: excellence, friendship and respect.

nowhereisland will be produced by Alex, his collaborator, artist Tania Kovats, and Situations.  More information will be added as the project progresses.