Polar Force

Background Polar Force is a collaborative performance work with Speak Percussion interrogating the nature of life on remote Antarctic research stations. The project emerged from an Australian Antarctic Division Arts Fellowship awarded to Samartzis in 2015, which he used to document the effects of katabatic wind on Casey Station. The work features sound recordings of extreme weather events mixed with daily operations informing station life. This project contributes to a deepening of the understanding of polar research as well as issues surrounding the Antarctic Treaty that governs Australia’s territorial claim . Polar Force builds on the eco-acoustic work of artists and composers including Doug Quin (US), Chris Watson (UK), and Jana Winderen (NO). Contribution Polar Force is a 60-minute live performance providing audiences with a vivid and immersive experience of a remote research station. The project is predicated on the fieldwork that Samartzis produced during two Antarctic field trips in 2010 and 2016. Polar Force is designed to articulate the experience of extreme weather events, isolation, and arcane science through the convergence of performance, field recording, instrument design, choreography and light, within a chilled inflatable environment resembling a remote research station. Significance Polar Force was presented at the Art Centre Melbourne (9 performances) and the Perth Institute of Contemporary Art (5 performances) with each performance selling out. The instruments were produced by Dr Malte Wagenfeld in collaboration with students from Industrial Design as part of a series of studios devoted to material studies of polar environments. Speak Percussion received funding from the Australia Council of the Arts, Creative Victoria, and the Art Centre Melbourne for the production and presentation. Polar Force was nominated for a Green Room Award for Best Contemporary Sound Performance.