CONTEMPLATING GLACIERS - ART EXHIBIT

The journey to Contemplating Glaciers - A Dialogue began in 2019 when I first started to take an interest in my maternal grandmother's Russian family heritage, particularly her mysterious Doukhobor roots. Eager to explore and connect with this aspect of my identity, I sought to intertwine my discoveries with my studies in curatorial practice. In the summer of 2020, I came across the book Our Backs Warmed by the Sun by Vera Maloff, one of the few texts on Doukhobor culture in Canada. This research laid the foundation for Contemplating Glaciers, even before I met Jan Kabatoff. Three years later, after reaching out to Vera Maloff to find an artist of Doukhobor descent to collaborate with for my master's thesis, she responded promptly, recommending Jan Kabatoff as "an excellent person to contact." That pivotal introduction occurred on August 30, 2023, and exhibition planning began immediately. 

However, rather than curating art that responds to Doukhobor culture in Canada, I found myself curating art for a Doukhobor woman whose cultural roots led her to climate advocacy. I joined her in fighting to build climate resilience through artistic intervention, with our shared Doukhobor origins as binding factors and catalysts. 

Doukhobors, a Spiritual Christian ethnoreligious group originating in Russia, are known for their deep connection to nature, radical pacifism, sustainable practices, and low-impact lifestyle. These values resonate strongly in Kabatoff’s artistic practice, where her work embodies her cultural and environmental ethos. Her upbringing in the breathtaking landscapes of the Kootenays in British Columbia and her connection to the Doukhobor heritage shaped her relationship with nature as profoundly personal and deeply ingrained. Her artistic practice extends this, enabling audiences to experience the natural world through multiple mediums and sensory immersion. From silk installations that evoke the textures of glacial ice to soundscapes that capture the ethereal essence of melting glaciers, Kabatoff's work transforms environmental realities into palpable experiences. 

Kabatoff’s art presents glaciers as more than frozen landscapes; they are dynamic entities with aesthetic, emotional, and ecological significance. Her installation Moulin (2009), composed of hand-dyed fabric shaped into a cylindrical form, represents the naturally occurring mill-wells that drain glacial meltwater. This piece serves as a striking visual metaphor for the fragility and beauty of glaciers while simultaneously drawing attention to the scientific processes that hasten their retreat. The large-scale panoramic photograph Athabasca Glacier, Canadian Rockies (2024), immerses viewers in the glacier’s intricate textures, from crevasses to cryoconite holes. This sweeping visual experience contrasts with the intimate, detailed focus of other works like her Cryoconite Studies (2024) , creating a multifaceted exploration of glacial aesthetics. Adjacent to the large-scale panoramic photograph in the exhibition space is Kabatoff's comparative photos depicting the Athabasca Glacier in 2015 vs. 2024, a stark representation of the glacial retreat. These artworks invite viewers to contemplate glaciers' physical beauty and vulnerability, fostering an emotional connection that transcends the visual. 

Kabatoff seamlessly integrates scientific data into her artistic process, translating complex environmental phenomena into accessible and evocative visual forms. Her expeditions to seven glaciers across three continents have yielded a rich archive of materials, including paintings, photography, frottage, and sound and video recordings. Combined with modern technologies like drone footage, these elements bring the realities of melting glaciers into the gallery space. The drone video Athabasca Glacier of the Columbia Icefield, Canadian Rockies (2024), provides an aerial perspective of the glacier’s retreat, highlighting the scale of environmental change. This video was captured thanks to Parks Canada providing the first permit to fly a drone above the Athabasca Glacier - a testament to Kabatoff's commitment to advancing knowledge of melting glaciers. This immersive nine-minute film educates and captivates audiences in the gallery space, blending scientific observation with artistic storytelling. It provides a vantage point seldom seen of Athabasca Glacier and acts as a time capsule for what will soon be lost. 

Kabatoff's work materializes the often-invisible processes of climate change, offering a tangible entry point for audiences to grasp the urgency of the climate crisis. At its heart, Contemplating Glaciers highlights the profound interconnectedness between glaciers, ecosystems, and humanity. Central to her work as both a researcher and artist is the profoundly personal connections she has fostered through a shared passion for glacier science. This project was significantly shaped by the ongoing support and insightful conversations between Kabatoff and hydrologist Bob Sandford, as well as with glacier guide Corin Lohman, the owner of IceWalks, whose collaboration enriched the depth and impact of Contemplating Glaciers. As such, she is deeply committed to ensuring her work authentically conveys the story of melting ice as interpreted and informed by professionals in the field. 

By capturing the intimate details of glacier morphology and the broader impacts of glacial retreat, her art fosters a deeper understanding of our collective responsibility to protect fragile ecosystems. Her work and message transformed the gallery into a dynamic dialogue on melting glaciers, reminiscent of her explorations of glacial formations and those who care to listen to what glaciers tell us. The exhibition also explores the concept of "last-chance tourism," which draws attention to the ethical and environmental implications of visiting disappearing landscapes. Kabatoff’s art reframes this phenomenon, encouraging viewers to appreciate glaciers' fleeting beauty while contemplating the broader consequences of their loss by experiencing the Athabasca Glacier through a virtual reality headset - the Meta Quest 2. By presenting glaciers as conscious entities, Kabatoff’s work inspires a profound sense of connection and urgency, urging audiences to engage in climate resilience and advocacy. - Jessica Turner, Curator