More Basel Miami Coverage - 16 Dec., 2006

  Arctic Ice Project

Tavares Strachan Arctic Ice Project, 2005-06

With the help of a skilled team, Strachan cut into an Arctic river to extract a 4.5 ton portion of the river which [was] stored in Alaska. This block of ice [was] shipped to Nassau, Bahamas to be displayed in July 2006, an extremely hot summer month. The large block of ice then [sat] in a glass freezer, which derives its power from a solar energy system. In effect, the power of the sun will keep this remnant of the Arctic intact, stable and on view in the Caribbean (although the Bahamas is not technically the Caribbean). The Arctic Ice piece traveled to Miami, FL for the month of December 2006 [for Art Basel Miami Beach events of Ronald Feldman & Pierogi, Brooklyn held on N. Miami Av. in Wynwood].

“The gist of the project is to actually bring the frozen north and the hot tropics into contact, to demonstrate that they are contrasting halves of a single entity, and to then utilize the heat and light energy of the South to maintain the exact opposite condition of sub-zero temperatures. The first part of the project is about the conceptual notion of ice and heat as the poles of our environment; the second part is about the miracles of technology, which can use one extreme of temperature to produce the other.” (Richard Benson: Dean, Yale University, School of Art)

What is more fascinating than a single block of ice kept frozen in a freezer is the process by which this project came to fruition. During Basel Miami there were very likely dozens of works that could be classified as conceptual. After hearing this person and that person complaining about much of the work one would have to wonder what exactly they expected to see. I went into this venture without expecting anything and found many works that surprised, thrilled, and excited my love of art. Strachan's was definitely in that category.

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