CultureLab - Digital landscapes depict humans' impact on the Arctic

Rebecca Campbell, contributor

 

Fish by Svein Flygari Johansen, Am I making up what really happened?, 2011, installation detail. (Image: Beaconsfield and the artist)

Illuminated under a cave-like arch, a pool of water suspended above ground in a polythene sheet reveals the shadow of a solitary fish. As curious viewers step forward, the fish - which represents human memories - darts away in different directions, responding differently to each individual.

The digital art work, designed by Svein Flygari Johansen and coded by Jonny Bradley, forms part of an exhibition exploring the relationship between nature and human culture. Am I making up what really happened?, showcasing at the Beaconsfield gallery in Vauxhall, South East London, combines computer programming with scenic landscapes to encourage audiences to rethink the role of human culture in our ever-changing environment.

Throughout the exhibition, the influence of the artist’s Nordic upbringing on his work is clear. “The only language I really know is the landscape where I came from”, says Johansen, who recalls spending his summers fishing for wild salmon in Norway’s Alta river. “My work, my senses, my stories come from that landscape and are shaped by it.”

In one piece, Johansen explores cultural changes experienced by the Sami - Arctic indigenous people who live in northern Sweden, Norway and Finland and parts of Russia. A photograph taken in the summer depicts a lush green landscape with a traditional wooden Sami reindeer fence. Alongside it a second photograph of the same place in the winter shows a different scene - an industrial white metal fence. The contrast represents the shift from landscape to territory, says Johansen.

In another room, lumps of limestone on the concrete floor represent a rolling Nordic landscape. However, Johansen points out that the chemical behind the stones’ sparkle - ammonium sulphate - is similar in composition to the fertiliser ammonium nitrate - a substance that can be used to make explosives like those thought to be used by Oslo bomber Anders Brevik.

During my visit, a live performance by London electronic musicians Metamono - a group who reject digital technology in favour of analogue - stood in contrast to the digital sounds played throughout the exhibition.

Thorough, innovative and thought-provoking, Johansen’s exhibition encourages visitors to rethink humans’ impact on our natural environment, while alluding to the idea that life is full of fleeting moments that ought to be relished.

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