Sarah Gerats

Sarah Gerats (Netherlands)

Lives and works on Spitsbergen (NO)

Sarah works with photo, video, performance, stories and rumors. Her visual works are staged situations, recorded by a camera. She usually works alone, out in nature, using a tripod and a timer. She often appears in her own work, incorporating her body into the environment, reacting to her surroundings. Her performative actions search for a strong female presence in the rapidly changing high North.

Her work is strongly defined by the place where she lives. In 2012 Sarah accidentally moved to Spitsbergen/Svalbard, an archipelago at 78 degrees North, where she has been living and working since. She combines her artistic practice with working on tall ships as a guide, both in the far North and the deep South. This work gives her the possibility to develop a long term relationship to the Polar regions, and to work in seemingly inaccessible places.

During her time in Ktaqmkuk, Newfoundland this March, Sarah will present artist talks in various regions and communities, sharing her perspective on life in the fastest-warming town on Earth. Through her artistic work, Sarah will tell about her experiences of the rapidly changing Arctic landscape and its impact on the small community on Spitsbergen/Svalbard.

Sarah's presentation will feature her photography-based works, videos, and accounts of her durational performances, which often involve her immersing herself in the Arctic environment. She will also highlight the work of Stein Henningsen, a fellow Svalbard-based performance artist.

Having worked with numerous artists visiting Svalbard, Sarah will discuss how artistic approaches have evolved in response to the changing environment. A key question for her is the role of art as a witness to the changing landscape, and how art can be valuable in documenting and raising awareness.

Throughout her talks, Sarah will explore themes of social sustainability in small communities and the question of who it is that can tell these stories. While here, Sarah will focus on the parallels and differences between her home in the high Arctic and the maritime North of Newfoundland, where she will be spending the Month of March.