Back at the ArsBioarctica Residency at the biological station of Helsinki University in Kilpisjärvi, far up in the north, close to the Norwegian border and the Arctic Sea. The exact coordinates are 69 degrees 2′ 38″ North and 20 degrees 48′ 13″ East, and only 488 meters above sea level, if my phone is to be trusted.
 
The first time I visited this place, nearly two months ago, there was more than 150 cm snow, and now most of that is gone. Quite a lot still remains, though, and there is still ice on the lake. My plan is to do a sequel to the video work I recorded here in April, although this time it is not possible to walk out on the ice. And this time a colleague helps me by sending me a prompt, a poem or idea or something to use as an impulse or starting point. It is exciting to experience the light here, since it is really overwhelming, energizing and exhausting at the same time. This time I am planning to climb up to Saana Fell, too, and managed to get fairly high already on my first day. (see images below) I am describing my experiments and experiences, writing more or less daily, on the residency blog, which can be found here.
 

Malla seen from the slope of Saana 4.6.2014