THE ICEFJORD CENTRE

WHAT THE WATER FLEA CALANUS HYPERBOREUS AND CARTOGRAPHY CAN TELL US ABOUT THE ARCTIC

In the occasion of Artist Janne Breinholt Bak’s exhibition “ARCTIC” at Ilulissat Museum, Marine Biologist Torkel Gissel Nielsen and Artist Janne Breinholt Bak will present their collaboration about gathering the water flea Calanus Hyperboreus in the Disco bay. Torkel Gissel Nielsen will describe how the cartography of the nearly invisible water fleas can tell a significant story of how the arctic climate has evolved throughout the past 30 years.

With the Greek Myth as her source, which also lays name to the water flea, Janne Breinholt will speak about the importance of myths and tales, not only for the first maps of arctic but also the Arctic nations claim over the seabed and the North Pole. The presentation will be interpreted simultaneously.

 The exhibition ”Arctic” opens at Ilulissat Art Museum the 12^th of March at 4pm, where there will be a tour of the exhibition and a presentation. The 20^th of March at 7pm there will be a dialogue with the hunter Inunnguaq Heilmann, about the film Janne Breinholt Bak and Eva la Cour have produced with him during their residence in Ilulissat. Eva La Cour has as an artist researched in Arctic image formations and folklore and will be performing a performance and lecture after the dialogue with Inunnguaq Heilmann. It is also possible to book private guided tours in the exhibition “Arctic” on the 21^st and the 23^rd of March at 3pm and by further appointment: +45 29914782

Torkel Gissel Nielsen is a Marine Biologist and professor at DTU. He has in the past 30 years been working in the Disco bay and registered how climate change has affected the foundation of the productive food chains. In connection with this he has researched how the water fleas’ propagation has changed significantly in connection with the melting ice.

Janne Breinholt Bak has exhibited the exhibition “ARCTIC” in both Denmark and Greenland since 2019. As the daughter of a surveyor, she has been brought up with cadastral maps and surveyors’ sticks. She has studied literature and art and has simultaneously been working with her arctic project as Senior Editor at Gyldendal.