On the sidelines of the annual Bruges ice sculpture festival is (Ant)Arctic Matters

There's a feverish excitement at the entrance to the grand marquee outside Bruges station as hundreds of punters wait for the doors to open on this year's ice sculpture show, featuring the lovable Ice Age movie characters. But I'm here to see something with a little less commercial appeal.

Just the other side of the road is a series of non descript white shipping containers placed in a circle. I'm led there by world-renowned Flemish polar explorer Dixie Dansercoer, who's chattering away eagerly about the show and how he hopes it'll bring an important message about the fragility of our environment.

He's already told the throngs of guests, who have finally been allowed to descend on the adjacent exhibition, to make sure they come and have a peep inside these containers afterwards, adding that it is "not too late" and it is "absolutely up to us to take action - not for ourselves, but for our children" to save the climate.

Meanwhile, he tells me how he was inspired during a contemplative moment on a previous polar expedition to use art as a call to action on climate change. "We never have time in our daily lives to just sit and think. Only then is there maximum creativity. When you see all the pristine snow, it forces you to respect nature and Mother Earth."

But the message on climate change is already out there so much so that people are despairing. "We are constantly bombarded with so much information and worrying prognoses, that people are just giving up," says Dansercoer. It was time to find a new way of reaching out to the masses about the perils we face if we don't take action.

Dansercoer commissioned a series of Flemish artists to make a display in each of the containers to highlight the beauty of the polar regions. "We want to reach the soul of people and touch them in a significant way so they take one image, one sound, or one line that makes them willing to change and do something."

The exhibition, dubbed (Ant)Arctic Matters, will move to Brussels next year for the European Union Green Week before touring Europe for five years, notably Eastern Europe, where, it's safe to say, environmental action has yet to gain popular momentum. Next port of call is Prague where I wonder out loud if Dansercoer will meet hard-line climate sceptic president Vaclav Klaus. "In Belgium, it's much easier," he admits wincingly.

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On Friday, December 4th, a large number of ´Committed Belgians´ have cycled their way to Copenhagen. With the special ´Pedal for Copenhagen´ action, Dixie Dansercoer invited on the site of (ANT)ARCTICMATTERS a number of ´famous´ but committed fellow citizens to spend the day together producing as much energy as possible by cycling on a virtual trip to Copenhagen, where the decisive Climate Summit is set to begin on December 7th. The participants include Rob Vanoudenhoven, Jean Bosco Safari, Christ´l Joris, Joost Callens, Freddy Maertens, Rutger Beke, and Tine Deckers, to name just a few. The action continued until Sunday, December 6th.

In order to bridge the 1,000 kilometres which separate us from Copenhagen, the participants made use of 5 stationary and 5 energy bicycles which transform the energy into kilometres. Over the three days all visitors cycled more than 2000 kilometres (to Copenhagen and back to Bruges) on the cycling counters. Dixie: "I´m delighted by the commitment of so many who are taking action to generate greater awareness about what's happening to our climate. A surprisingly large number of participants, familiar faces, but also many visitors to (ANT)ARCTICMATTERS, have enthusiastically cycled lots of energy (more than 2200 Kwh!) and kilometres on the counters. We can only bring climate change under control by making further efforts. This action is a step towards helping people to better understand the importance of these efforts."

Dixie also invited all cyclists to visit the audiovisual exhibition (ANT)ARCTICMATTERS. Many visitors signed the 'Personal GlobaI Matters Charter'. Each signer makes a personal commitment to help put a stop to global warming.

We would like to thank warmly all our enthusiastic cyclers!

Stefan Maes

We encourage all visitors and AAM enthusiasts to make this commitment and apply a "green attitude" in your lives.
Join (Ant)Arctic Matters community by signing the charter!

This morning our brisk run turned more challenging than expected when we climbed a hill only to encounter some forceful blustery weather on top.  As we turned the corner to head back home, Dixie & I struggled stubbornly into the headwind as it relentlessly pushed directly against us.  "Think style, not speed," Dixie coached.  Immediately, my shoulders relaxed, my pace evened, and by the time I reached our house about 3 kilometers further I was only about 3 minutes slower than my normal pace.

(Ant)Arctic Matters is a project which has blown challenges our way from the start.  That we have made it this far to tomorrow's opening is an accomplishment equal to any other grand goal we have set-out to achieve.  Dixie has been the initiator and leader on this exhibition, and he has used the same focus, the same determination, and the same resourcefulness as in any polar expedition.  He has been blessed with the same unpredictable ingredients = luck and good fortune, especially in his discovery of selflessly committed project teammates.  And together, this diverse team has decided to mix a bit of dare into the recipe.

Perhaps the most rewarding aspect of such a project is the surprising cooperation which evolves with seemingly incompatible partners.  Dixie & I have learned over the years that it is easy to team with corporations or groups who already symbolize "green" thinking.  The real challenge - and even more important the tangible results - come from collaborations with parties who have room to grow in the realm of environmental responsibility. 

And so as we proudly launch (Ant)Arctic Matters  in Brugge, Belgium tomorrow, we will do so with the many hands of many generous and sincere people who are willing to face the challenge together.  It does not matter where we all started ~ but it does matter that we all end up at the same destination.

Julie Brown