Ars Bioarctica

The Bioart Society hosts currently two regular residency programmes: Ars Bioarctica residency programme and biannual Field_Notes field camp. All the open calls can be found on this page.

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Bioart Society is the motor behind Ars Bioarctica which is a long term art&science initiative with a focus on the sub-arctic environment. It was started in autumn 2008 together with the Kilpisjärvi Biological Station of the Faculty of Biological and Environmental Sciences, University of Helsinki. Ars Bioarctica fosters projects between artists and scientists to develop new kind of scientific and artistic thinking and through this participate and contribute to the discussion on the relation of humankind and nature. It is located in Kilpisjärvi, the most Northern part of Finland.

The activities of Ars Bioarctica encompass the Ars Bioarctica residency programme, the Field_Notes field laboratories, specific workshops and educational services for University programs.

Ars Bioarctica residency programme has an open call once a year. There are 4 residency periods length of 2 or 4 weeks in different seasons of the year. We welcome applications from artists of any dicipline and stages of professional career. 

Field_Notes is an art&science field laboratory at the Kilpisjärvi Biological Station in Lapland, Finland. Five groups work for one week in the sub-Arctic Lapland to develop, test and evaluate specific interdisciplinary approaches on questions located above the ground.

Events
Between Sferics and Rust. On the...
Jacek Smolicki spent two weeks at Kilpisjärvi Biological Station within the North Escaping residency. During his stay, he engaged in a series of listening excursions, soundwalks and field recording sessions exploring past, present and future soundscapes of this unique environment.
Guest post | Jacek Smolicki | 5 September 2023
Cybryonts and bipolar mosses at...
The Critical Garden Collective spent two weeks in residency at the Kilpisjärvi Biological Station searching for bipolar mosses and working with hybrid creatures, named Cybryonts.
3 August 2023
Maa: porosity, permeability,...
Aino Johansson spent three weeks in Ars Bioarctica residency working on her soil and forest related projects with chromatographies, butoh dance, forest mapping, activism and environmental education.
Guest post | Aino Johansson | 3 July 2023
Ice, Soil, Light and Silence
In these times of hurries, constant haste and immediacy, there are still places where you must arrive slowly.
Guest post | Jon Cazenave | 5 June 2023
'Aha, mmm! got along without you...
aRzu and Maria Lepistö are having their North Escaping residency at the Kilpisjärvi Biological Station. They are planning to create an augmented sound expedition and will present their work at SOLU Space on 24th of May.
Guest post | aRzu | 14 May 2023
Three open calls for Ars Bioarctica...
Three open calls for Ars Bioarctica residency programmes at the Kilpisjärvi Biological Station. Deadline for applications 2nd June 2023.
12 May 2023
the conjuring of what is and isn't
aRzu and Maria Lepistö are having their North Escaping residency at the Kilpisjärvi Biological Station. They are planning to create an augmented sound expedition and will present their work at SOLU Space on 24th of May.
Guest post | aRzu | 8 May 2023
How to Measure Snow
During her Ars Bioarctica residency, Sanni Priha worked on her film project 'Farewell to Snow'.
Guest post | Sanni Priha | 3 April 2023
On the importance of darkness and...
Cynthia Blanchette spent two weeks exploring the January darkness of Kilpisjärvi. Her residency was part of her year-long artistic research focused on wetland swamps.
Guest post | Cynthia Blanchette | 29 March 2023
The perfect Kilpisjärvi suitcase for...
The prospect of traveling to Lapland may seem daunting to a city dweller living outside the Nordic countries. To help you prepare, here are a few tips from a fellow city dweller who had never traveled to the far north.
Guest post | Jérôme Le Mest | 24 March 2023
Screenwriting in Kilpisjärvi
As a screenwriter, I came to Kilpisjärvi to better understand the experience of the locals, scientists and researchers at this station in the heart of Lapland. My goal was to document their stories and emotions to inspire my TV series project – one detail at a time.
Guest post | Jérôme Le Mest | 24 March 2023
Synthetic landscapes of vibrant...
Oscar Martín presents a parallel sound work that he conceptualised and pre-produced during an Ars Bioarctica residency at the Kilpisjärvi Biological Station.
Guest post | Oscar Martin | 7 March 2023