Auksalaq

Auksalaq, the Inupiat word for “melting snow/ice”, is a telematic work that explores global climate change from a northern geographic and cultural perspective. Using networked technology, videography, music, voice, visual arts and interviews, Auksalaq integrates artistic expression, scientific information and social/political commentary to create an interactive, multi-dimensional experience. The narrative incorporates fragmented and conflicting perspectives about the state of climate change as experienced in Alaska and the Arctic. These accounts, portrayed in the form of a scientific commentary and interviews with people of the region, are woven into a story about change in the far north. The music expresses interlocking environmental forces as eco-musical forms, expressing the profound changes in the ice-flows of Arctic waters. A new interactive audience-participation software called NOMADS enables engagement with the performance in real-time. Audience members are encouraged to attend the concert with their laptops or PDAs. (more)