Cool photographs capture new geopolitics of the melting Arctic

The Arctic is changing rapidly as global warming accelerates. Gregor Sailer captures this profound change with photographs of military bases and ice surveillance kits. This is part of his exhibition The Polar Silk Road.

To Li Gege

These cold and chilling images taken in the Arctic Circle capture the growing economic and geopolitical tensions in the region as global warming accelerates. From photographer Gregor Cyler’s latest project, The Polar Silk Road.

Its title refers to new routes being carved out across the region to facilitate trade between the United States, Western Europe and East Asia. At sea, this became possible as the ice melted.

The Arctic has many research and military bases. The photo above highlights a military outpost. The main image is Norwegian surveillance post 247 on the border with Russia. Pictured above is an image of the deep-sea underground submarine dock at Olavsvern Naval Base in Tromso, Norway.

Pictured above is the equipment needed for the East Greenland Ice Core project on the North East Greenland Ice Sheet. This attempt was created to drill down into the sheet to see how the flow of this frozen mass into the ocean would affect future ice loss.

Shipping that thrives in the frozen north needs ports like Kirkenes on the Barents Sea in Finnmark, Norway.

The last image above is from the Miðnesheiði radar site in Iceland. It is part of NATO’s air defense system and is now primarily responsible for monitoring air traffic and guiding aircraft.

Polar Silk Road photos are on display at the Alfred Ehrhardt Foundation in Berlin until April 2nd.