Island to Island: Killin & Zonneveld Return to Artica with a New Project on Oceanic Ecologies

Left: Mhairi Killin, Right: Floortje Zonneveld.

In February and March 2026, artists Mhairi Killin and Floortje Zonneveld will be in residence at Artica Svalbard, developing From the Mouths of the Caves, Listening to Hear Another Island’s Song - a collaborative project exploring how knowledge travels across island environments through art, sound, language, and community.

Inspired by two elemental spaces — a sea cave on the Isle of Iona in Scotland and an ice cave in Svalbard — the project uses these symbolic, shifting sites to reflect on ecological change and the entangled futures of island communities. During their six-week residency, Mhairi and Floortje will work across art, science, and storytelling to connect children in Longyearbyen with their peers on Iona and Mull, creating a living archive of shared island knowledge to be exhibited in both locations.

During their residency, Mhairi and Floortje will work with children in Longyearbyen and on the Scottish islands of Iona and Mull, inviting them to explore how their communities are linked by dynamic ocean systems and shared narratives of climate change. By focusing on ecological systems, cultural identity, and language — particularly Gaelic and the diverse languages spoken in Svalbard — the project seeks to amplify young voices often absent from environmental discourse, creating a living archive of island knowledge to be exhibited in both regions.

They will be joined by Siri Granum Carson, Professor of Applied Ethics at NTNU and co-chair of the European Ocean Research and Education Alliance (EOREA). Drawing on her experience in transdisciplinary ocean research and Responsible Research and Innovation (RRI), Siri will contribute to the project’s exploration of how we move from ocean knowledge to ocean understanding, and will help connect the artists with researchers at NTNU and UNIS.

This project marks a return to Artica for both artists. Floortje Zonneveld has led multiple community-based projects with Artica, including Shadowing Without a Sunset, Future Community Garden, and The Slow Adventure: A Year Without Trees. Mhairi Killin, based on the Isle of Iona, comes to Artica for the third time following a nomination by OCA (The Office for Contemporary Art Norway) and with support from Creative Scotland.

This residency is supported by TIDAL Arts, the European Union, and Sparebankstiftelsen.