SVALBARD GLOBAL SEED VAULT

For KORO, Public Art Norway

Dyveke Sanne

 

The voluminous heights of the building and the top of the façade are filled with triangles in highly reflective, acid proof steel. The triangles are of different sizes and aligned in relationship to each other. Together with other elements like dichroic mirrors and prisms, they break up the light and disperse it onto the surroundings in a multitude of different directions.

 

The building will reflect the light depending on the time of year and the time of day. During winter darkness other sources of light will replace the sunlight. The light will complement the darkness that has been dug out of the permafrost soil, and will signal the seed vault’s positioning at all times.

 

The depths of the seed vault are out of sight. Yet, its contents reflect a meaning and a complexity that affects us. From the moment we become aware of its existence, we are reminded of our own position in a global perspective and the condition of our planet. The seeds carry an obligation to the future. They are copies for a diverse landscape that demands cyclical repetition of actions, rather than continued faith in the designated original and linear progression.

 

The mirrored surfaces do not betray any underlying contents. They copy and reflect what they receive. Close up you can see yourself in the mirrors, further away you become part of the landscape, or are blinded by the reflected light. The reflections come together and shift internally according to the position of the viewer.

 

This artwork is intended to contribute to reflection over Svalbard Global Seed Vault.