Sensing the Anthropocene: the Permanent Ice in Contemporary Art

In the time between the first Arctic ice recordings in the 1970s and today, forty percent of the Arctic’s ice area has vanished. Human greenhouse gas emissions explain this alarming trend. The dire consequences of Arctic ice shrinkage are clear considering the important roles ice plays in different aspects of the Earth’s ecosystem. Among its many roles, Arctic ice cools the climate by reflecting sunlight, forms a habitat for humans and animals, and stores the vast majority of the Earth’s fresh water. The disappearance of this natural biome not only leads to what is commonly referred to as the “climate crisis,” but also to social and political crisis