Hans Rosenström

The transitory nature of glacial ice is evident in the work of Finnish artist Hans Rosenström.

The video Folgefonna presents a glacial ice cube from Folgefonna Glacier in Hardangerfjord, Norway, gradually melting and disappearing in the palm of his hand. To hold your hand still with a cold ice cube is measurable by time. It is a drawn-out, monotonous process. However, considering the transformation taking place, it passes quite quickly. The fact that it took 400 years to compress layers of snow into this glacial ice is a time scale beyond human comprehension. In this durational performance, Rosenström presents us with an effective image of the delicate connection between man and the environment.

Twenty-three minutes into the process of filming, an unplanned electrical cut divided the video into two separate scenes: the beginning depicts the infrastructure still functioning, and the second half, after the disruption, shows an improvised situation detached from its surroundings.

Hans Rosenström, (Finland, born 1978), Folgefonna, (detail), 2019. HD video, 50 minutes 6 seconds. Courtesy of the artist and Helsinki Contemporary. © Hans Rosenström


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