a project concerning arctic maternity dens
During the last decade the image of the polar bear has moved in the public imagination from being an icon of strength, independence and survival in one of the most climatically extreme of world environments, to that of fragility, vulnerability and more generally of a global environmental crisis.
matrix is an ambitious project, scheduled to begin in the Spring/Summer of 2010 with a residency in Longyearbyen, Svalbard to be followed 
up by a further residency and access to the archives at the Scott Polar Research Institute, (SPRI) in Cambridge. During the residency in Svalbard we will be focusing on the dens of polar bears in Svalbard – as a perfectly adapted model for habitat* in the arctic environment.
The Polar Bear species is under threat from global warming, largely through the depletion of ice and shortened winters.
Through this study we will look for examples of adaptation to changing environmental circumstance as a basis for contemplation and re-appraisal of accepted knowledge, through the processes of discussion with experts in the field, empirical enquiry and ultimately, art-driven initiatives. We are particularly interested in the specific architecture of the dens, so in addition to our discussions with biologists we’ll be seeking an understanding of their functionality from the perspective of physicists.
