Circumpolar Art as Icebreaker: Platform for Arctic Voices

Title Sound of Culture: Indigenous Vocal Heritage

Description Sound is a powerful carrier of memory, identity, and emotion. It shapes the way we experience the world, connecting us to places, people, and histories. In the Arctic, where vast landscapes stretch beyond the horizon, sound travels far – whether in the rhythm of a drum, the call of an animal, the howling wind, or the voices of those who sing, chant, and share their stories. These vocal traditions, passed down through generations, are more than music; they are expressions of knowledge, survival, and deep relationships with the land and its spirits. Indigenous vocal heritage in the Arctic is diverse, spanning from the mesmerizing katajjait (throat singing) of Inuit women to the rhythmic chants and songs of Sámi yoikers and other circumpolar Peoples. These traditions are shaped by the environment – imitating the sounds of wind, water, and animals – or carrying the oral histories, myths, and emotions of their communities. They are also markers of identity, resilience, and resistance, as many of these traditions were once suppressed under colonial rule but have endured through cultural strength and revitalization efforts. But sound is not only about what we hear – it is also about silence. The Arctic is often perceived as a silent place, yet this silence is filled with meaning. It is the space between sounds, the moment of stillness before a voice rises, the deep listening required to understand one’s surroundings. In Arctic Indigenous cultures, silence is not emptiness but presence – an awareness of the land, the spirits, and the echoes of those who came before. This exhibition invites you to experience sound not only as something to be heard but as something to be felt. Through immersive acoustic landscapes and evocative imagery, we explore the deep interconnection between sound, nature, culture, and place. Listen closely, and you will hear the voices of the Arctic – voices carried by wind and water, voices shaped by silence, voices that continue to resonate, carrying the stories of the past into the present and beyond.

Place Museum of Contemporary Circumpolar Art, Bern, Switzerland

Date 14 June 2025, 11:00

Project Type Tour

Title Ice Age Medicine: Healing Wild Plants at the Edge of the Ice

Description Step into the extraordinary world of Arctic-Alpine healing plants and uncover ancient botanical wisdom passed down through generations. Join us for the exclusive presentation of Ice Age Medicine, a unique book by Dr. med. Marianne Ruoff, created in close collaboration with Greenlandic Inuit communities. With over 20 years of experience in internal medicine and herbal medicine specialist, Dr. Ruoff will share her comprehensive knowledge of the powerful, often overlooked healing properties of plants that thrive in some of the Earth’s most extreme climates. This is a rare opportunity to learn how traditional circumpolar and alpine remedies can inform and enrich contemporary holistic health practices. Whether you're a wellness enthusiast, nature lover, or curious mind, this event promises an inspiring journey through nature, traditional knowledge, and Western science. Don’t miss this unique event!

Place Museum of Contemporary Circumpolar Art, Stadtbachstrasse 8a, Bern, Switzerland

Date 21 June 2025 at 17:00

Registration Limited space – please register by 18 June 2025 at: info@naturalmedizin.ch

Project Type Book Vernissage

Title Rooted together - plants. peoples. places.

Description Plants are healers, companions, and vital threads in the fabric of cultural and ecological relationships. Their essential role is being recognized anew: as sources of medicine, as kin in many Indigenous worldviews, and as quiet yet powerful allies in the struggle for a livable planet. In traditional knowledge systems across the circumpolar North and the Alpine regions alike, plants are not only valued for their healing properties but honoured as active members of the community. They are present in seasonal rituals, folk practices, and everyday acts of care. At the heart of these relationships lies the earth itself – the soil that nourishes roots, holds memory, and connects all life. This exhibition invites visitors to reconnect with the deep-rooted wisdom that binds plants, peoples, and places – and to reflect on what it means to live well together on Earth.

Place Museum of Contemporary Circumpolar Art, Bern, Switzerland

Date 03 July - 10 October 2025

Project Type Exhibtion