Falling Mountains
Thwaites glacier, a rewriter of coastlines on the entire Earth.
My new mural Falling Mountains aims to make visible the Thwaites glacier in West Antarctica which is undergoing accelerating ice loss. In 2019 scientists discovered a cavity underneath the glacier with an area two-thirds the size of Manhattan. The grounding line, the final point where the glacier rests on bedrock is retreating as warming ocean water melts the ice underneath the ice shelf.
Falling Mountains depicts a breaching humpback whale in a falling motion. Its body is cracking and breaking apart as a calving glacier and roots are exposed. It was painted at the end of May during the 10th anniversary of the Spring Beast Festival in Snösätragränd in Stockholm.
If the Thwaites collapses, it would raise the sea level by 65 cm /25 inches and would rewrite the coastlines of the entire Earth. Thwaites and its neighboring Pine Island glacier acts as plugs preventing the West Antarctic ice sheet from sliding into the sea.
From where you are, you may not be able to hear the tremendous sound of a falling 100 meter thick iceberg, but you can witness the melting of the Thwaites at any coast towards the sea. It is the widest glacier on Earth and it contributes to about 4% of the annual global sea level rise, which equivalates to 3,5 mm/ 0.13 inches. So, as you stand at the coast enjoying what the waves bring, maybe you can see yourself in the mirror of Thwaites and even feel it gently touching your face. It is a giant in the south lurking on your shores.
My sincere thank you to all the people who supported my mural project, to Highlights store in Stockholm and Loop colors for the paint and to Snösätra Kultur for providing the wall and an unforgettable mural festival. Thank you to all artist friends and colleagues who I painted alongside.
May 4th 2024
/ Vegan Flava
