The Arctic was nev­er con­sid­ered a place for women. Throughout his­to­ry, women have been deemed unfit to deal with the chal­lenges that come with an iso­lat­ed life in the wilder­ness. Non-indige­nous peo­ple to the Arctic have long con­cep­tu­al­ized the polar region as a bar­ren, inhos­pitable land­scape where only the tough­est of men could sur­vive. Built into this affir­ma­tion of the adven­tur­ous and engi­neer­ing nature of men is the sys­tem­at­ic refusal of women into the arc­tic world.

At the same time the Arctic has tra­di­tion­al­ly been gen­dered as fem­i­nine in the Western world. Initially, it was regard­ed a region to be con­quered and pen­e­trat­ed. Whereas this view has shift­ed in post-colo­nial times, the Arctic is still con­ceived of as fem­i­nine and is now col­lec­tive­ly imag­ined as a bar­ren, vir­gin’ land in dis­tress, in need of our protection. 

The project Only Barely Still aims to pro­pose a dif­fer­ent nar­ra­tive of the Arctic and its col­lec­tive imag­i­nary. By stand­ing on the axis of two mis­con­cep­tions – about the Arctic on one hand, and the women in it on the oth­er – it wants to respect­ful­ly cap­ture their synergy. 


The ongo­ing project Only Barely Still brings togeth­er ana­log images and hand­writ­ten let­ters by women liv­ing in the arc­tic arch­i­pel­ago of Svalbard. The project aims to chal­lenge the way we look at nature, women and unspoiled places’ and to pro­pose a dif­fer­ent nar­ra­tive of the Arctic and its col­lec­tive imaginary.



(2017 – ongoing)



Only Barely Still in Contretype, Brussels, 2022 (photo: Contretype)
Only Barely Still in Contretype, Brussels, 2022 (photo: Contretype)
Only Barely Still in Contretype, Brussels, 2022 (photo: Contretype)
Only Barely Still in Contretype, Brussels, 2022 (photo: Contretype)
Only Barely Still in Contretype, Brussels, 2022 (photo: Contretype)
Only Barely Still in Contretype, Brussels, 2022 (photo: Contretype)
Only Barely Still in Contretype, Brussels, 2022 (photo: Contretype)
Only Barely Still in Contretype, Brussels, 2022 (photo: Contretype)
Sea of Teeth with Bart Vandevijvere and Johan Tahon in Galerie 10a, Otegem, 2022
Sea of Teeth with Bart Vandevijvere and Johan Tahon in Galerie 10a, Otegem, 2022
Sea of Teeth with Bart Vandevijvere and Johan Tahon in Galerie 10a, Otegem, 2022
Sea of Teeth with Bart Vandevijvere and Johan Tahon in Galerie 10a, Otegem, 2022
Sea of Teeth with Bart Vandevijvere and Johan Tahon in Galerie 10a, Otegem, 2022
Sea of Teeth with Bart Vandevijvere and Johan Tahon in Galerie 10a, Otegem, 2022
Sea of Teeth with Bart Vandevijvere and Johan Tahon in Galerie 10a, Otegem, 2022
Sea of Teeth with Bart Vandevijvere and Johan Tahon in Galerie 10a, Otegem, 2022
Sea of Teeth with Bart Vandevijvere and Johan Tahon in Galerie 10a, Otegem, 2022
Sea of Teeth with Bart Vandevijvere and Johan Tahon in Galerie 10a, Otegem, 2022
Sea of Teeth, 2020
Sea of Teeth, 2020
Vei 600, 2017
Vei 600, 2017
Sarah's First Sun, 2020
Sarah's First Sun, 2020
Platåfjellet, 2020
Platåfjellet, 2020
Vei 238, 2018
Vei 238, 2018
Byrunden, 2020
Byrunden, 2020
Gruve 7, 2021
Gruve 7, 2021
Miners Bus, 2020
Miners Bus, 2020
Mia on The Day the News Broke, 2021
Mia on The Day the News Broke, 2021
Terhi Drawing Polar Bear Encounter, 2022
Terhi Drawing Polar Bear Encounter, 2022
Svalbard Reindeer, 2017
Svalbard Reindeer, 2017
Sarah and Nemo, 2017
Sarah and Nemo, 2017
Nybyen, 2018
Nybyen, 2018
Lena, 2022
Lena, 2022
W. Get Your Gun, 2023
W. Get Your Gun 2023
Pyramiden, 2021
Pyramiden, 2021
Arctic Wolves, 2021
Arctic Wolves, 2021
Sport Complex, 2021
Sport Complex, 2021
Jenny, Cornelia and Lea (In Between Science, Art and Outdoor Classes), 2023
Jenny, Cornelia and Lea (In Between Science, Art and Outdoor Classes), 2023
Siv, 2021
Siv, 2021
Helipad, 2021
Helipad, 2021
Ronja and the Huskies, 2022
Ronja and the Huskies, 2022
Arctic Forest, 2021
Arctic Forest, 2021
Mia Outside Mine 7, 2022
Mia Outside Mine 7, 2022
A Room of Her Own, 2017
A Room of Her Own, 2017