Inspired by the time we spent in Antarctica as part of Pierre Huyghe’s project A Journey That Wasn’t, we decided to join the Scientific Committee on Antarctic Research as their official representatives for participatory art. 

 

The Antarctic Treaty of 1961, Antarctica is not a country, nor is it owned by any one nation. It has no government and no indigenous population. Military activity is banned, as is prospecting for minerals. Instead, the entire continent is set aside as a scientific preserve. 

Yet, with disregard for the treaty, various nations are secretly vying to exploit the continent for strategic advantage. 

 

We believe that Antarctica is common property - even though nobody owns the untouched wilderness and its resources, each and every one of us holds a symbolic claim to it. The continent and its prosperity is the responsibility of all of us. 

 

We see ourselves, first and foremost, as a Think Tank in search of solutions. Through participatory art, we aim to explore how joint global decision-making processes can shape the future of the territory and ensure that it is preserved and protected. 

 

A Symbolic Border for Antarctica