Susan Schuppli Iceberg floating in the Olgastretet (Olga Strait), Svalbard Archipelago, production still,
Learning from Ice: Sea Ice, 2020.
Photo : courtesy of the artist

Artist, videographer, researcher, and author Susan Schuppli is interested in the capacity of objects to be both agents and custodians of traumatic or violent events, such as war, climate crisis, and ecological disaster. Through a transdisciplinary approach based on an alliance of scientific and Indigenous expertise and the collaboration of local communities, Schuppli sheds light on the agency of these non-living actors — objects, technologies, natural resources — to shape the framework of historical discourse. Proposed as material archives in her documentaries, these “passive” witnesses encourage serious critical reflection on contemporary existence by making tangible the consequences of otherwise abstract politics.

You must have a valid Digital or Premium subscription to access this content.

Subscribe to Esse or log in now to read the full text!

Subscribe
Log in
This article also appears in the issue 101 - New Materialisms
Discover

Suggested Reading