Esther Horvath, a photographer, has been focusing on documenting the Arctic climate research since 2015. Since 2019, she has been working in Ny-Ålesund, at the world’s northernmost international scientific research station, which involves ten countries and is located in the Norwegian Svalbard Islands. Svalbard is the epicentre of global warming, where the average winter temperature has risen by 6-8°C since 1991, at a rate much faster than anywhere else on the planet. There, more than four months of the year are dominated by the darkness of the Arctic winter. The exhibition Stars of Polar Night presents narratives and visual series of everyday life and scientific research in the polar night.
The documentary collection tells the story of how scientists – in spite of the harshest environmental conditions, including blizzards and temperatures as low as -30°C – reveal connections that significantly contribute to a better understanding of the changes on our planet. In addition, the photographer also represents everyday life at the research base, which is accessible only by boat or plane and where no tourists are allowed, only researchers. This closed world is explored through her sensitive observations, offering insight not only into the research processes but also into the personalities and human aspects of the dedicated scientists working there. A key component of the project is the portrait series called Women of Arctic Science,which aims to inspire the next generation of female scientists and explorers by featuring the lives, motivations, and work of female researchers.