Photographer Daniel Kukla’s Arctic Expedition
An Arctic Ocean adventure for the sake of the environment—and art
In October 2014, a sailing vessel will make its way in and around the archipelago of Svalbard, situated in the vast Arctic Ocean not far from the North Pole. The ship will be populated by scientists and researchers, thanks to The Arctic Circle Residency. And, with the help of a successfully funded Kickstarter, photo-based artist Daniel Kukla will also be aboard. Kukla has long contributed site-specific photographic works to various publications and exhibitions; diverse arrays of stunning landscapes and the details within. This excursion to the north will continue his mission of delivering ecological imagery promoting social and environmental awareness—with a specific view in mind to provoke further thought on global warming beginning in the most remote of regions.
“I think it will be very otherworldly and I’m excited for the challenge of it,” Kukla shares with CH, before noting the difficult nature of the region, and the topic itself. “Right now there are a lot of photos of melting ice and glaciers, and I do not know if people really resonate with that. We get bleak perspectives, but there are fascinating things as well and by presenting things outside the mass media attention, surrounding the issues, I can help shift some attitudes,” he shares. “I will present something that is different from other people’s perspectives.”
A $30 contribution will get donors a 6″x6″ archival inkjet print of artist Cupid Ojala’s comedic sketches of a potential trip to the arctic, while a $50 contribution is rewarded with an original signed polaroid from the Arctic, with a thank you note.
Images courtesy of Daniel Kukla
