Join us for a special audiovisual performance by Janis Polar and Yanik Soland, exploring the entanglement of scientific exploration, industrial ambition, and geopolitical power in Antarctica. “stories of 90°S empir[e]icism #3” reworks historical 16mm footage of European expeditions from the 1940s–1960s, layering them with contemporary material and live sound to question the narratives of conquest and extraction that shaped this remote landscape.

Through projected distortions on glacier geotextiles and digitally altered sound, the performance disrupts images of male dominance, whaling industries, and scientific interventions, proposing an alternative way of engaging with Antarctica’s fragile ecosystem. By juxtaposing past ambitions with present uncertainties, “stories of 90°S empir[e]icism #3” asks: what futures await this territory once the ice retreats?

Janis Polar works at the intersection of moving image, performance, and installation. In Antarctic Archives, currently on view at the Photoforum, he critically engages with the colonial and scientific representations of Antarctica. His live performances extend these investigations through projection, archival film, and sculptural elements like glacier geotextiles.

Yanik Soland is a Basel-based musician and artist whose practice bridges visual art, composition, improvisation, and performance. With degrees in fine arts and music composition, he has created scores for theatre productions, ensembles, film, and radio. His acclaimed solo album YUKI was released on Futura Resistenza, and his contributions to the radio piece Going To Switzerland won major awards at the HearSay Audio Arts Festival.

The event and exhibition are supported by the Swiss Arts Council Pro Helvetia and the Department of Culture Basel-Stadt. The project was supported by the Film and Media Art Committee BS/BL and the Ceroni Foundation.