Expressions of Intent for International Polar Year 2007-2008 Activities

Expression of Interest Details

PROPOSAL INFORMATION

Invisible Journey (Voyage invisible)  (I-Journey (for Invisible Journey))

Outline
Invisible Journey (I-Journey) is a one million year voyage through space and time. We (a group of artists & scientists) propose to design and build an object that will be “lauched” into the Antarctic ice pack from the vicinity of the South Pole. The “Invisible Object” (or I-Object) will follow the movement of the ice pack, slowly migrating towards the Antarctic Ocean. The duration of the journey will depend upon the local rate(s) of ice-flow along its trajectory. It will also be related to the evolution of global climate. In this sense, all of humanity is linked to the destiny of the Invisible Object. The object itself will be designed and engineered to resist the extreme pressures of deep-immersion in the ice pack, and the length of time estimated for the journey. The object will contain a variety of messages, certain of which will touch directly upon the subject of planetary awareness of climate change. Amongst the messages we wish to enclose will be several thousand photographs of the earth, taken by people from all over the world; a written message in the languages of the 49 indigenous populations of the extreme North, (populations who are currently menaced by the melting of the permafrost, and the accelerated warming of the Arctic environment); and lastly, the motif of the human hand (which invokes the Palaeolithic hand paintings first painted on cave walls some 30000 years ago), and is symbolic of the story of human evolution. The project has five phases: I.-Conception and Content description (2007-2009); II.-Fabrication of the Invisible Object (2009-11); III.-Out-reach involving exhibitions in centres of scientific and artistic excellence (2010-2011); IV.-Voyage to Antarctica, during which the invisible object will be released (2012). V.-A final phase (2013) involving an exhibition, and the production of a video film based upon material recorded during each stage of the project culminating with the I-Object’s release in 2012.We will be accompanied by a professional writer throughout all phases of the project.

What significant advance(s) in relation to the IPY themes and targets can be anticipated from this project?
The originality of this project lies in the nature of its extremely close collaboration between scientists and artists. It also represents a means of communicating to many groups of young people, and to the public at large, notions of astronomy (dating by stellar position), the Antarctic environment (South pole and its immediate surroundings), glaciology (the dynamics of ice-flows directly affecting the Invisible Journey), and finally, anthropology (awareness of the existence and plight of the many indigenous Northern peoples, whose ancestral lands are currently menaced by the accelerated warming of the Arctic regions).

What international collaboration is involved in this project?
The Invisible Journey links astronomers from the Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur (OCA), the Institut d’Astrophysique de Paris (IAP), the IPY Activity number 385 entitled Stella Antarctica (PI - Professor Eric Fossat, LUAN, Nice University, France), British artist Pete Jeffs (Studio North, Paris).

FIELD ACTIVITY DETAILS

Geographical location(s) for the proposed field activities:
The preparation for phases I (definition), II, III and V will take place between Paris and Nice, (France). Phase IV (release of the Invisible Object) may (in one of our scenarios) take place in the vicinity of the Franco-Italian base on the Antarctic continent, Dome Concordia.

Approximate timeframe(s) for proposed field activities:
Arctic: n/a
Antarctic: 11/12 – 02/13            

Significant facilities will be required for this project:
Transport of the Invisible Journey team (4-5 people) and the Invisible Object from France to Dumont D’Urville, and then on to Dome C Concordia, by air, in principle. A residency of several weeks during the estival period at Dome C, for 4-5 people to prepare and record the departure of the Invisible Object on its long voyage through the ice-pack.

Will the project leave a legacy of infrastructure?
The Invisible Object will leave no permanent surface structure, however the project will generate a complete exhibition which should be developed as a nomadic touring module, and which can be exported to different sites without difficulty. The presence of an ice sculpture, for example an ice-ship, is foreseen at the Invisible Object departure point. The lifetime of such a surface sculpture should be short. With regard to the Invisible Object itself, we are very much inspired by the traces left to us by human populations of the Palaeolithic, some 30000 years before the present. Our project will be to create a new ‘paleoarcheological’ legacy. We hope that our Invisible Object will leave a trace for the duration of between 100,000 years to 1 MYR, for human kind, (or at least, our descendants).

How is it envisaged that the required logistic support will be secured?
Own national polar operator
Own support
Other sources of support

Has the project been "endorsed" at a national or international level?
Yes - The project has been endorsed by Stella Antarctica, IPY Activity ID number 385, PI Professor Eric Fossat, LUAN, Nice University, France.

PROJECT MANAGEMENT AND STRUCTURE

Is the project a short-term expansion (over the IPY 2007-2008 timeframe) of an existing plan, programme or initiative or is it a new autonomous proposal?
Yes

The Invisible Journey is an original project, and is not part of any other existing structure or planned activity.

How will the project be organised and managed?
Scientific management will be coordinated by Dr. Bruno Lopez, OCA, Nice, France; artistic management will be coordinated from the art studio of artist Pete Jeffs (Paris, France). Contact between Nice and Paris will be managed through meetings and by email, blog, and telephone links. We have produced a first strategy document, detailing the nature of the different working groups involved in the project, the time-scales involved, and deadlines that will need to be respected in order to launch the Invisible Object during the summer season of 2012-2013.

What are the initial plans of the project for addressing the education, outreach and communication issues outlined in the Framework document?
Phase III of the Invisible Journey directly addresses outreach and communications issues. We envisage a communication strategy involving a number of primary, secondary and further education establishments. Second, we propose to exhibit the Invisible Object in both Nice and Paris, following its creation. Exhibitions will be hosted in each city by centres of both scientific excellence and of artistic excellence. Phase V will involve an exhibition, a film and full documentation, to be developed with the aid of the project’s writer.

What are the initial plans of the project to address data management issues (as outlined in the Framework document?
Not relevant.

How is it proposed to fund the project?
We are currently researching private sponsors to aid the project in the phases I, II, III, and V. We will seek the aid of the Institut Paul Emil Victor (IPEV) with respect to the logistics should the final departure point of the Invisible Object be located close to Dome Concordia.

Is there additional information you wish to provide?
This project was jointly launched by Dr. Bruno Lopez (Observatoire de la côte d’Azur) et Peter Jeffs, (independent artist and plastician, GB/France), during the First ARENA Conference on « Large Astronomical Infrastructures at CONCORDIA, prospects and constraints for Antarctic optical/IR Astronomy », Roscoff, October 16-19, 2006.

PROPOSER DETAILS

Dr Bruno Lopez / Dr Peter Jeffs
Observatoire de la Côte d’Azur, BP 4229, Nice / 83 rue de Bagnolet, Paris


F-06304 / F-75020
France

Tel: 0 4 92 00 31 46 / +33 (0)9 72 48 21 18
Mobile: no
Fax: 0 4 92 00 31 38 / +33 (0)6 82 04 58 24
Email:

Other project members and their affiliation