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Photo Exhibition
Subantarctic
"Subantarctica " is an outdoor photography exhibition showcasing the work of Under The Pole’s scientific underwater expedition. From Antarctica’s marine wildlife to the makeshift laboratories set up on board, it tells the story of an adventure where exploration of the most extreme oceans meets the beauty of the world it reveals.
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IMAGES THAT OVERLAP
Twelve panels, created by artist Nicolas Henry from eighty photographs, unfold six stories: science at sea, Antarctic marine wildlife, technical polar diving, life and work aboard the sailboat Why, krill—the tiny shrimp on which the balance of the entire Southern Ocean depends—and a call to protect the oceans.
The approach is that of a montage. On each panel, underwater images, laboratory scenes, crew portraits, and icy landscapes are layered like prints placed side by side, capturing both the beauty of the ocean depths and the concrete reality of scientific work in the polar environment. Created for the Art Explora festival stop in Le Havre, the exhibition will then accompany the museum ship on its tour.
© UNDER THE POLE | Franck Gazzola
© UNDER THE POLE | Franck Gazzola.
For more than ten years, the organization Under The Pole —which brings together professional divers, scientists, and film crews — has been conducting underwater exploration expeditions aboard the sailboat Why to the far reaches of the oceans, at the intersection of adventure, science, and visual art.
Subantarctica builds on this work through the lens of artist Nicolas Henry, who curates the exhibition and, drawing from the team’s archives, crafts a visual narrative that blends documentation and vision.
SUBANTARCTICA – A collaboration between Under the Pole, the Photoclimat Biennial, and Art Explora
Curated by: Nicolas Henry
Photo credits: © UNDER THE POLE | Franck Gazzola.
© UNDER THE POLE | Franck Gazzola.
© UNDER THE POLE | Franck Gazzola.
The Commissioners
Nicolas Henry, artistic director and founder of Photoclimat, is a French photographer, director, and visual artist who graduated from the École des Beaux-Arts in Paris. At the intersection of portraiture, theater, and installation art, he creates dreamlike worlds staged with entire communities. As director of Yann Arthus-Bertrand’s project *6 Billion Others*, he is also the author of *The Cabins of Our Grandparents* (Actes Sud) and *Imaginary Tales from Around the World* (Albin Michel, winner of the 2017 * Award * for Mediterranean Art Books). His works have been exhibited around the world.
Photoclimat is the first free, open-air environmental and social biennial: for one month, it takes over public spaces in Paris and its metropolitan area to raise awareness of some 50 NGOs and foundations through the medium of photography. By combining contemporary artworks and photojournalism in vast open-air installations, it raises awareness among all audiences about social and environmental issues and uses art as a vehicle for civic engagement, accessible to everyone.
