Northern Lights

February 11th - April 30th, 2017

The exhibition portrays 300 years of reproduction and dissemination of the northern lights, as well as their role in the depiction of the far north.

The northern lights are a magical phenomenon that continues to fascinate and attract curious tourists and scientists to the northernmost regions of the globe. For centuries, these mysterious lights have shaped stories and ideas about nature, culture and life in these areas, becoming an iconic symbol of the fascinating, unexplained and inaccessible North.

Since the 1700’s and to this date, visual depictions of the northern lights have flourished. Whether it be engravings, lithographs, paintings, colorful pictures in tourist brochures, comics, or as depicted in social media, their portrayal has, more often than not, been in the hands of the fascinated outsider. Today, the awe inspiring light formations play an important part in marketing the world's northernmost regions.

The exhibition is composed of a collection of historic books and graphic representations that relate to the northern lights, along with contemporary photographs.

Curator: Kira Moss