NOT A LIFESAVING DEVICE and 79° NORTH at the Goethe-Institut LA

I am excited to share that my photo exhibit NOT A LIFESAVING DEVICE, as well as my short drone film 79° NORTH, will be exhibited at the Goethe-Institut in Los Angeles from May 14–28. Opening night is on May 14 from 6:30–9:30 PM at the Goethe-Institut Los Angeles. Please visit the Goethe-Institut’s webpage to RSVP and for more information.

NOT A LIFESAVING DEVICE is comprised of a series of photographs and video art I created in December 2023 during the Arctic Circle Expeditionary Residency aboard the sailing vessel Antigua.

As AI-generated images increasingly blur the boundaries between reality and fabrication, my work embraces that ambiguity: although these images may appear artificial, they are entirely real. In the context of global warming, non-native species are increasingly moving into fragile ecosystems, symbolized here by an inflatable flamingo, an object radically out of place in the Arctic.

At the same time, the inflatable pool float references the rapid growth of tourism in polar regions, where leisure increasingly overlaps with vulnerability. The phrase NOT A LIFESAVING DEVICE, printed by the manufacturer directly on the object itself, functions both as a literal safety warning and as a symbolic statement: in moments of real emergency, this device offers no protection.

Eldur Á Himni exhibition at Villa Aurora in Los Angeles

Eldur Á Himni [Fire In The Sky] was very well received during my solo exhibit at Villa Aurora in Los Angeles.

We had a full house on May 31 in the beautiful Pacific Palisades. Visitors had the chance to view some of my favorite images of the Northern Lights, followed by an outdoor screening of the film. Here are some impressions from the evening. Enjoy!

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20140216 Boris Schaarschmidt [Selfi] Fire in the Sky

This project was filmed during my three months filmmakers residency “The Weight Of Mountains” in Iceland 2012/2013. I had an amazing time at NES in Skagaströnd and I am longing to go back.