Baseline by Anna Gaby-Trotz

This installation features a collection of images gathered while examining the changing climate through the North West Passage. These waters – situated between Kugluktuk, Nunavut and Greenland – have a deep history of colonial conquest and now, once impassable due to ice, are open to commercial passage, mining of resources, and military access.

Over a decade has passed since this journey, and the situation has only worsened. The Arctic is melting twice as fast as anywhere else on the planet, which has an immense impact on the communities and ecosystems that rely on this land and water. As I travelled through this landscape, I was struck by the lack of ice. Days passed, and the water was still open. Then the first iceberg floated onto the horizon. It was almost the size of our ship. How long did it last before being absorbed into the ocean? Will future generations know a diverse environment with sea and glacial ice? How is the opening up of this once closed passage going to change our world?

Baseline is an attempt to shift this narrative: to challenge us to change, to listen, to act.