Honorable Mention
BIO
Erika Blumenfeld is an internationally exhibiting artist and Guggenheim Fellow with a BFA from Parsons School of Design. Awards include the Creative Capital Foundation and Polaroid. Artist residencies include ITASC in Antarctica (2009), and Ballroom in Marfa, TX (2004). Exhibition venues include Albright-Knox Art Gallery; Willem de Kooning Academie; CCA Santa Fe; CCNOA; DiverseWorks; Färgfabriken Norr; Galerie der Stadt Mainz; Hertfordshire University; Kunstnernes Hus; MFA Santa Fe; OCA Sao Paulo; PICA; Santa Fe Art Institute. Publications include Art In America, ARTnews, and The Polaroid Book. Permanent collections include Albright-Knox Art Gallery; MFA Houston; MFA Santa Fe; Polaroid; and UT, Austin.
Apparent Horizons
In January 2009, Erika Blumenfeld traveled to Eastern Antarctica as the artist-in-residence of ITASC (Interpolar Transnational Art Science Constellation) and SANAP (South African National Antarctic Program). Living on the ice fields for four weeks, Blumenfeld initiated her ambitious environment-focused series, The Polar Project. Focusing on the distinct and sublime phenomena of light, sky, and sound in Antarctica and the Arctic, The Polar Project will present a visceral experience of the Poles.
Antarctica and the Arctic are crucial to humanity’s future and Earth’s stability. Glacial melting will affect vast numbers of people worldwide bringing unprecedented challenges to all of humanity. Yet, the remoteness of the Poles means that few humans have access to them, and therefore most of Earth’s population has never experienced their remarkable nature. An experience of the Poles would result in a sense of connection with, and greater understanding of, their fragile ecosystems and vulnerability to climate change. Blumenfeld’s mission is to capture the natural environment of this majestic land and preserve its image and voice for future generations.
For Polar Identity, Blumenfeld is proposing the first video installation in The Polar Project’s series, titled Apparent Horizons: Antarctica (a vision in four parts). The installation is comprised of four videos depicting the astounding natural phenomena that occur on the Ice Continent everyday. Blumenfeld observed that the icy landscape and atmosphere act like enormous prisms, which refract and reflect light creating a world of wondrous colors. The piece gives the viewer a serene glimpse into Antarctica’s luminous expanse.