Aosta Valley, at Bard Fortress, glacier photos show effects of climate crisis

Through the photographic representation of glaciers, thanks to the power of contemporary images and the comparison with the identical shots immortalized by the great masters of the past before the climate crisis, the Earth’s Memory exhibition, scheduled from June 17 to November 18, 2022 at the Fortress of Bard (Aosta Valley), unequivocally communicates the effects of global warming on ecosystems, offering visitors an intense reflection on the relationship between the human species and the natural environment.

The Earth’s Memory exhibition, promoted and organized by Forte di Bard, presents the world premiere of the results of the project On the Trails of the Glaciers, the photographic-scientific journey conceived and directed by photographer Fabiano Ventura. On the Tra ils of Glaciers is a photographic-scientific project that combines photographic comparisons and glaciological surveys to bear witness to the effects of climate change through the observation of changes in glacial masses over the past 150 years. The project represents the largest existing archive of comparative photography of glacier mass changes and involved 87 glaciers resulting in 314 photographic comparisons. Photographic imaging activities were accompanied by scientific surveys of glacier health that resulted in 16 research programs.

From 2009 to 2021, Ventura, together with a team of filmmakers and researchers, led 8 expeditions to Earth’s major mountain glaciers: Karakorum (2009), Caucasus (2011), Alaska (2013), Andes (2016), Himalayas (2018), and Alps (2019-2020-2021). Today, in the EARTH’S MEMORY exhibition, the 90 photographic comparisons displayed with large-format, top-quality images are complemented by the restitution of scientific data collected during the expeditions and disseminated in the exhibition. The content is presented with the latest interactive design and data visualization techniques: large-screen projections, video installations and immersive images that allow visitors to delve into the magical world of ice and the complex topic of climate change. Videos of expeditions and interviews with the various researchers involved, collections of clothing from yesterday and today, and collections of documents and maps of scientific-historical value complete the exhibition.

The exhibition itinerary

Due to the richness and complexity of its contents, the exhibition occupies multiple spaces inside the Fortress of Bard for about 700 square meters: in the Cannoneries, videos of the expeditions and interviews with the protagonists of the project are projected alongside the photographic comparisons, and scientific data are presented through data visualization tools made by ESA (European Space Agency). Also on display is a valuable selection of maps and historical documents on early geographic exploration; a large iconic image representing each mountain range; and examples of historical and modern mountaineering clothing. In addition, there are 5 tables with 15 monitors where all the insights and backstage are displayed, including: scientific texts signed by Claudio Smiraglia and Riccardo Scotti, several videos and interviews from the documentaries made on the expeditions, and more than 150 backstage images to tell the behind-the-scenes story of all the work done in 13 years of the project.

The former military chapel will host photographic comparisons in panoramic format set up on semicircular structures with an immersive effect; an interactive video-installation entitled Walking Through Time, by video-artist Paolo Scoppola, thanks to which visitors will have a sensory experience on the theme of time; and a display case with original documents by Vittorio Sella.

Finally, a section will be dedicated to the long iconographic research work that preceded each expedition and to the restoration work of historical photographs and post production of all the photographic material.

The exhibition has received the patronage of UNESCO and boasts a popular scientific collaboration with the European Space Agency (ESA), which has created specially for the exhibition project in Bard animated graphics presenting scientific results on satellite images related to the geographical areas covered by the expeditions of the On the Trails of the Glaciers project.

The statements

“With this project, the Fortress of Bard intends to help convey to the public a greater awareness of the impact that human activities have on the climate, raising awareness of the need to safeguard natural resources for the protection of future generations. This is an area on which we have been working for years and on several fronts, also supporting scientific and research projects that help raise awareness of the impact of climate change on glacial areas,” explains Fortress of Bard President Ornella Badery.

“Glaciers are not dead bodies, but organisms in perpetual transformation. Glaciers are born, grow, transform, melt and sometimes die. In a word: they live. At the end of a journey suspended between nostalgia and indignation we discover that the only losing characters in this fantasy film are ourselves, spectators of our own doing. We human species are the only castaways to be saved in this epochal sinking, because the disappearance of the glaciers is the sign of our doing and our destroying,” writes Enrico Camanni in the introduction to the exhibition.

“The EARTH’S MEMORY exhibition was born from the desire to share an extraordinary journey made up of various stages: from archival research on the photographs, maps and travel diaries of the first explorers to the definition of itineraries capable of tracing the exact historical photographic points, from the emotions experienced while exploring new horizons to the indignation felt in front of a dramatically distorted landscape. Up to the need to convey the idea that I have strongly developed over the years: man is an inhabitant of the earth and is no stranger to nature. To safeguard it is to safeguard ourselves as a species and as humanity. Abandoning a totally anthropocentric view, which seems almost a triviality, has become one of the most important challenges of our time. The goal is to offer a contribution to knowledge and awareness, which are needed now more than ever. The comparisons on display represent the changes that have taken place in a short period of time and at the same time leave a testimony and a warning for future generations,” says Fabiano Ventura.

Aosta Valley, at Bard Fortress, glacier photos show effects of climate crisis

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