The Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition
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Built as part of the larger Art Shanty Project on Medicine Lake, Minnesota. In collaboration with Molly Goldberg and Mary Rothlisberger.
The Art Shanty project is an experimental community, a collection of non conventional dwelling spaces, a forum for public performance, an art residency and a social experiment, inspired by traditional ice fishing houses that dot the state’s lakes in winter. 6 weeks spent, living, giving and singing under an overturned row boat; the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition was staged as a re-interpretation of the Antarctic mission and epic survival story, lead by Sir Ernest Shackleton from 1914-17 on the Antarctic continent. During this expedition, 28 men survived an Antarctic winter underneath a makeshift shelter construed out of an overturned life raft from their destroyed ship. After dragging salvaged materials from the ship across miles of ice flows, the structure was erected on Elephant Island, just off the north western tip of the continent. The skeleton of our shanty was conceived of and prepared in Virginia, then driven across many states to frozen Medicine lake, Minnesota. Most of our materials were salvaged from dumpsters and street corners. Our fearless building crew survived record low temperatures, frost bite, and 15 hour work days during the week long building process. For five weeks, the Imperial Trans Antarctic Expedition Shanty housed a rotating crew of builders, artists, musicians, scientists, story tellers and visionaries. We told tales of the Antarctic, made and served soup, sang songs, hosted and organized performances and kept detailed logs of our adventures. With the spirit of hospitality as a conceptual motivator the shanty became a forum of communication and a gathering place for the community of artists on the ice. more photos: HERE! see project blog: HERE! |