Safnahús Borgarfjarðar – Borgarnes Museum, Borgarnes, Iceland part of the exhibition Changes on Northern Shores – Observing Problems through Art and Science travels to Borgarnes, Iceland
September 5th – November 30th, 2025
Birefringence, sea turtles and light pollution
The abstract sculpture Birefringence, sea turtles and light pollution is material investigations that takes departure in space exploration, navigation, light pollution and alternative forms of knowledge communication. Since the 1960´s NASA has used Iceland as a training ground for astronauts. In 2019 the lava fields outside of Borgarnes was the site chosen to prepare and test the new robotic space explorer for the next mission to Mars. Scientists have suggested that Iceland, with its environment and renewable energy policies, could serve as a good model for a colony on the Moon or Mars — even though we have yet to come to terms with the negative environmental and cultural impacts of colonization on Earth.
With space exploration comes space junk and light pollution of the sky interfering with astronomical observations, disorienting animals using the stars for navigation such as dung beetles and sea turtles. It also impacts the celestial navigation systems that Indigenous groups in Hawaii have used for thousands of years. Indigenous Australians have looked to the sky for tens of thousands of years to form knowledge systems about animal behaviour and plants’ medicinal properties which is often encoded into oral traditions commonly tied to the celestial sphere. It is suggested that the Vikings relied not only on the stars for navigation but also the sun, possibly utilizing the birefringence properties of calcite crystals also called Iceland spar or sunstone.
Alnus SiO2 No. 29829
Oskarshamn Konsthall part of the exhibition Sculptors Meet Döderhultarn
June 1st – August 11th, 2024
The sculpture Alnus SiO2 No. 29829 takes its starting point from Döderhultarn’s choice of wood, which was alder, and his patent number 29829 from 1909 for photographing maps in a transparent globe. The work is situated within a social sculpture context and is a paraphrase of Joseph Beuys’ project 7000 Oaks from 1982. At the end of the exhibition the alders will hopefully be planted in Oskarshamn.
A jury-assessed co-production of the Swedish Sculptors´Association and Oskarshamn Konstahll, where 20 contemporary sculptors direct their gaze toward Döderhultarn´s life and work. The jury´s task was to select work based on. quality and connection to the theme.
Recently: Sculpture installation in Amerikadammen in Göteborgs Botaniska Trädgård
September 16th until October 29th, 2023
On the 19th of August the public was invited to participate in a conversation about space debris, light pollution and 3D printed sculpture with artist Josefina Posch and astronomer Katja Lindblom, director of Slottsskogsobservatoriet.
Amerikadammen is located behind the pavilion at the beginning of the Rhodedendrondal – find it on google maps here
Watch the sculpture being printed and read more about the project here
Art Test Field – Alvaret, Öland
[Prussian] BLUESHIFT – Space Debris 2551
Up until August 31st, 2023
