Note to Correspondents

Photo Exhibit on Antarctica to Open at United Nations 12 January

 

A joint photography exhibition by two Swedish photographers will open in the North East Gallery of the Visitors Lobby at United Nations Headquarters in New York, 6 p.m. on Wednesday, 12 January.

“Once Upon a Time … in Antarctica” by Stig Gustafsson is one of the largest European photo productions of its kind.  It offers an extensive visual tour of the region’s animal life and landscapes, dry valleys, glaciers and ice floes.  Gustafsson is a wildlife photographer and filmmaker from Gothenburg, Sweden, whose images have been featured in exhibitions and publications worldwide.  He has completed studies about the Arctic and Antarctica at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, and has participated in annual science festivals arranged by the University.

“Gateway to the Arctic” by Jens Thuresson presents a variety of images from the northern polar region.  Also a wildlife photographer, Thuresson has exhibited his images in Scandinavia and has been commissioned to take photographs for publication by the Swedish Society for Nature Conservation and the Swedish Tourist Association.  He gives lectures on how climate change affects the North Pole.  Both exhibits are presented at the United Nations by the University of Gothenburg and the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat.

The year 2011 marks 100 years since Roald Amundsen, the Norwegian explorer, led the first Antarctic expedition to reach the South Pole.  By focusing on Antarctica and the Arctic, two unique regions that reflect the health of our planet, this joint exhibition aims to draw attention to the challenges of climate change and global warming.

The exhibition is sponsored by the Permanent Mission of Sweden to the United Nations and the Consulate General of Sweden in New York.

For more information on United Nations exhibitions, contact Jan Arnesen, tel.: +1 212 963 8531, e-mail:  arnesen@un.org; or Liza Wichmann, tel.: +1 212 963 0089, e-mail:  wichmann@un.org.

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