My project investigates the quiet places and dynamic systems of the Vatnajökull ice cap, in Iceland, through the creation of a physical nomenclature ‘garden’, as a new method of understanding the landscape. The nomenclature focuses its exploration on the journey sediment takes from the nunatak, down a glacier to the proglacial plains, studying the key encountered glacial processes and resultant landforms, which I respectively term ‘actions’ and ‘memories’.
The Nomenclature of Glacial Memories aims to provide an in depth understanding of how Iceland’s landscapes are shaped by glaciers, whilst also acting as a predetermined memorial to the future extinction of these critical landscapes.
The uncovering of the glacial actions and memories takes place across the Breiðamerkurjökull, outlet glacier, through particle tracing field analysis. The detailed findings are subsequently translated into a physical nomenclature design, in Reykjavík. The abstract glacial memories are formed through a performative spectacle of manipulating a large iceberg fragment down the site transect. The subsequent marks left in the landscape will be enhanced through thoughtful design interventions, creating an active garden for visitors to walk through, embodying the sediment’s journey as they do so.
