Distant Early Warning Line, a solo exhibition of images made in Greenland by Victoria Crayhon, is an ongoing photographic study of the visible effects created by current international presence (including presence by the US and China) in Greenland and its multi-pronged attempt to benefit from climate change—specifically the ice melt.

An autonomous territory of the Kingdom of Denmark, Greenland sits atop huge mineral reserves, many of which are used in modern digital technology. Melting ice will soon make mining these reserves and development of the country possible, creating jobs, infrastructure, and more independence for the country. In the summer of 2022, Victoria Crayhon bore witness to this rapidly changing environment. 

The artist visited the southeast of the country, which contains the only farmland and forest on the island and is the site of abandoned Norse settlements and many proposed mining areas. She also photographed the west coast, where there was noticeable construction and infrastructure, especially in comparison to her first visit in 2016. A marked increase in tourism and industry is being prepared for; there is evidence of this anywhere one cares to look.

Distant Early Warning Line refers to a US Cold War missile detection system of radar stations over Greenland and Arctic regions of North America, put in place to protect American cities from nuclear attack. The title of this exhibition—besides referring to the history of the US military presence—is evocative of the fact that Greenland is perhaps the most important region of the world right now in terms of teaching us about climate change and the cost of exploitation of our planet.

About the Artist

Victoria Crayhon’s work has been exhibited, published, and collected both internationally and throughout the United States. She received her BFA in Photography from New York University and her MFA from Rhode Island School of Design. Grants include two Fulbright Scholarships (2018-2011) and the 2010 Aaron Siskind Fellowship in Photography from Rhode Island State Council of the Arts. Ms. Crayhon is a Professor of Photography at the College of Art and Design at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth.  Learn more about Victoria Crayhon’s work.

About the exhibition

This exhibition is part of Gallery 263’s Exhibition Proposal Series, a competitive program juried by the staff and board of the gallery.

Press

Best Photo Picks March 2023 by Elin Spring and Suzanne Révy for What Will You Remember?