The Constant Unraveling Flurry We Depend Upon (field research & recording)

Project/Concept

Treading on Thin Ice is a series of works that contemplates human conditions under progressive catastrophes resulting from social issues and climate change. By employing the concept of “landscape” comprised of traces of human history, visualized as a battleground and an extension of the human body, I explore the conception of a “post-landscape” where nature, human activities, digital media, and materiality intersect.

My upcoming project, The Constant Unraveling Flurry We Depend Upon (2024-), is a year-long artistic endeavor that reimagines where we as humans stand amid our changing land. The project comprises field research, visual study, interviews, collaborations, and exhibitions. I explore the notions of and interactions among natural disasters, collapsed landscapes, deformed structures, the inconstancy of phenomena, memories of loss and trauma, and layered fragments in our histories and transmute the abstract concept into a perceivable audio-visual built environment.

 

The project will begin with a two-week expedition with The Arctic Circle around Svalbard, Norway in August 2024. As a result of my field research and artistic creation, I will present exhibitions in 2025 and 2026.

What You Support : field research/recording

When: August 9 to 30, 2024 (August 15 to 29 on board)
Where: Oslo and Svalbard, Norway, and its High Arctic Sea
Expedition program: Special Circumnavigation, Art & Science Expedition with The Arctic Circle https://thearcticcircle.org/
Purpose: to conduct my research and artistic creations of this series since 2022

The Svalbard, a Norwegian archipelago in the Arctic Ocean, is particularly sensitive to climate change, where the effect of the Arctic amplification is more significant. Led by artists and scientists, this one-time-only alumni expedition will set out to circumnavigate the archipelago of Svalbard and sail to the High Arctic ice pack and polar region. The expedition provides a rare partnership with the MV Ortelius, an outstanding 91-meter polar expedition vessel serving as the workspace and home for 106 artists, researchers, and scientists during the expedition. Supported by the ship crew and expert guides, we will conduct landings, field recordings, research, talks, and Arctic exploration on land and in the water territory.

 

In addition to further learning about the local history, landscape, ecosystems, and the impact of climate change, I will extensively collect videos, photographs, and sound recordings to be utilized later as fundamental materials for investigating, re-modelling, and creating.

What You Fund: travel costs and add-on equipment

I have received some grants from Taiwan to help cover the program fees, but I still fall short of making this expedition and recording field trip happen smoothly. Your contribution will support the very necessary travel costs and add-on equipment to what I already have for the upcoming 2.5-week research and field recording in Oslo and around the Svalbard archipelago in August.

 

Based on my previous expedition in Svalbard, the equipment list below will have an important impact on how and what visual and audio files I can capture, process, and share with the audience in the upcoming exhibitions. The equipment I consulted with professional audio and video experts is considered more affordable yet of good quality.

Your support will help cover:

 

Travel Costs:

Flights to and from Oslo/Longyearbyen, Norway

Transportation within Norway

Accommodation in Oslo and Longyearbyen, Norway
Travel Insurance including emergency medical evacuation and emergency medical in unrestricted waters

 

Add-On Equipment:

Hydrophones for underwater ice sound recordings

A Gimbal for stabilized video footage

A GoPro for versatile, high-quality recordings

A microphone blimp/windshield for clear audio in Arctic windy conditions

A 5" 4K monitor for better on-site video monitoring

A larger camera backpack to carry all the gear during hiking, zodiac riding, and landing

A second-hand camera body as a backup in case of damage or malfunction during the 0 to -10°C weather conditions

Additional storage devices for safeguarding collected data

 

Your contribution will make a significant difference in enabling me to undertake this important research and creative work, ultimately enriching the upcoming exhibitions with high-quality visual and audio materials. Thank you for your support!

 

About Jia-Jen Lin

Jia-Jen Lin is an artist based in Brooklyn, Berlin, and Taichung. With an interdisciplinary approach, her installations mediate the body, space, human condition, and our society. Her body of work integrates sculpture, video, photography, sound, text, and performance collaboration. Lin’s interest developed around transforming abstract experiences and conception into perceivable built environment that reflects the human conditions under the social and socio-ecological environment at large. Among other places, her works have been shown at the Queens Museum, the Hessel Museum of Art, the Hong-Gah Museum, the National Museum of Natural Science in Taiwan, Brooklyn Rail, Franconia Sculpture Park, and Locust Projects (solo) in Miami.
https://jiajenlin.info

Future Exhibition Plans

Amos Eno Gallery(group), New York, October, 2024

Künstlerhaus Bethanien(solo), Berlin, April, 2025

Große Wasserspeicher(dual), Berlin, May, 2025
Taiwan/New York(solo, TBD), 2026-2027

Treading on Thin Ice series is a sponsored project of Fractured Atlas, a non-profit arts service organization. Contributions for the charitable purposes of The Constant Unraveling Flurry We Depend Upon must be made payable to “Fractured Atlas” only. Any contribution above that amount is tax-deductible to the extent permitted by law.