'Arctic Adaptations Nunavut at 15' comes to Iqaluit

Arctic Adaptations Nunavut at 15, an award-winning Canadian exhibition from the 2014 Venice Biennale in Architecture that celebrated the territory's 15th birthday, has finally come to Iqaluit.

After touring through Canada, the exhibition is in Iqaluit from Aug. 24 to Oct. 9 at the Nunatta Sunakkutaangit Museum and the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut.  

The show features soapstone carvings of existing buildings in Nunavut, scale models of each of Nunavut's 25 communities, and a series of 15 architecture models of future possible structures.

"Often our artworks go to the south and we never get to see them," says Janet Ripley Armstrong, the arts and crafts co-ordinator at the Legislative Assembly of Nunavut.

Ripley Armstrong says it's exciting to have the art come back home so the artists who created some of the work as well as their families can see the show.

Soapstone carvings the main attraction

The exhibit looks at the past, present and future of Nunavut. 

The past is documented by carvings made by artists from across the territory, the present is documented with photographs of Nunavut, and the future is captured by models envisioned by architects for buildings that can be added to each community.

The curators from Toronto-based Lateral Office worked with artists in different communities across Nunavut who created the carvings from drawings and photographs of the buildings.

"Everyone has loved the soapstone carvings," says Lola Sheppard, one of the curators of the show.

"It was interesting to depict such a traditional craft that has such a long history but rarely depicts buildings."

'Architecture really matters'

Nunavut at 15 shows the role architecture and planning have played in the territory, and offers ideas for future projects. 

"The exhibition was for us a chance to say that architecture really matters," says Sheppard.

"It's a way to reinforce culture and a sense of place."

Sheppard says the curators wanted to stress the need for architects to be culturally responsive in order to build in a way that meets the particular needs of communities in the North instead of simply importing southern designs.

The exhibition, animated with photographs, explores the relationship between architecture, land, climate and culture in Canada's Arctic.

The carvings will be on display at the museum.

The models of future buildings such as an arts centre and a mental health centre are displayed at the Legislative Assembly.