We are pleased to share a new instalment of Field Notes by artist and poet Kathy Sirico, who took part in the Tarandus Field-Based Residency in July and August 2026.
In How to Get Lost in the Tundra, Kathy reflects on her experiences working alongside Tarandus Project Lead Samantha Huset Dwinnell, tracking Svalbard reindeer and collecting field samples in the vast landscape of Reindalen.
Moving between the practical demands of scientific fieldwork and the curiosity of an artist, Kathy explores the difference between observing a landscape from a distance and experiencing it on foot. Through encounters with moss, lichen, rocks, shifting colours and uneven terrain, her writing captures the physical challenges, unexpected discoveries and moments of wonder that come from immersing oneself in the High Arctic environment.
Blending humour, close observation and poetic reflection, the text considers how getting lost in the tundra can open new ways of seeing, questioning and connecting with the more-than-human world.
Kathy's residency formed part of the Tarandus Field-Based Residency, Artica's collaborative art–science programme with the University Centre in Svalbard (UNIS).
Read How to Get Lost in the Tundra here: Field Notes or listen to Kathy reading her text in the audio recording below.