Once I saw the first glimpses of the mountain that Uummannaq, Greenland, an island town off the country’s western coast, centers around, I was instantly drawn to the beauty and rawness of this remote place. The Arctic island has in the past 50 years quickly developed itself and is going from a traditional community of fishermen and hunters to a modern society. I wanted to understand and document how life looks and feels like in a community with such a harsh climate and long traditions.
In the autumn 2017, I began my photographic exploration and continued in February 2018, where I also witnessed the warmest winter on record in the Arctic. Unfortunately, the effects from global warming on this coastal town were apparent, with instances like the sea ice melting too early.
For countless generations, the Inuit who reside here have relied on their natural surroundings to survive. The purpose of this project is to show how the Inuit culture intersects with the town’s present day conditions and to pose the question of how long the area’s traditions will remain in contrast with its changing circumstances.
