"I spent time at Davis and Mawson stations and although only there a short time, I connected with the ice in many ways. I explored how the shapes and layers of an ice structure reveal its movement history; the many processes of action and reaction that created its current, yet continually changing form. I collected a vast range of movement and choreographic stimulus, ice imagery, visual and written responses, and sensory impressions.

Antarctica is the most spectacular, raw, powerful, fragile and extreme place on Earth and I believe that translating this into relevant art of today is truly necessary to connect Antarctica to the world."

Meet Christina Evans

Christina Evans is a performing artist and choreographer who has performed across Australia, Europe, Asia, the US and UK. She primarily layers physicality, film and raw emotional energy, presenting works ranging from environmentalism and feminism to mental health. Evans trained in dance in Adelaide and is a graduate of the Western Australian Academy of Performing Arts.

Arts Fellowship project

Christina Evans travelled to Antarctica on the Aurora Australis, visiting Davis and Mawson research stations. Evans is the first dance artist to ever be awarded an Australian Antarctic Arts Fellowship.

During her Fellowship, Evans researched different types of ice, looking at its cycles, and behaviour, and for signs of climate change. She collected a vast range of movement and choreographic stimuli, ice imagery, visual and written responses and sensory impressions.

"Our bodies are made up of pure water that at some point in time has been Antarctic ice. We are a part of the ice as well as its signs of a changing climate." (Evans)

Evans’s Fellowship crossed over with that of sound artist Philip Samartzis, sparking a collaboration. The soundscapes used in Evans’s dances were born from the incredible raw, richly diverse and intricate sounds of Antarctic ice recorded by Samartzis in Antarctica.

Find Christina Evans’s work

From her Fellowship, Evans created an installation focused on ice and the impact of global warming. The work included dance, sculpture, film, photography and soundscapes.

Evans first presentation of 'Body of Ice' was at the 2011 Antarctica Festival and Conference in Canberra. 'Body of Ice' was then developed into the full length work 'Polarity', performed at the 2011 Melbourne Fringe Festival on a large rooftop space surrounded by the city at Federation Square.

In 2011, Evans also participated in the conference honouring 100 years of Australian history on the continent, ‘Antarctica: Music, Sound and Cultural Connections'.

Evans was invited to perform at the 2012 Antarctica Art and Culture Festival and Conference in Buenos Aires, Argentina. For this event, Evans evolved ‘Body of Ice’ into a solo piece depicting a full ice journey, from layering on the plateau to dissolving icebergs.

Evans also participated in the Living Data program at the Ultima Science Festival in Sydney 2012, presenting a film installation of 'Polarity'.

Evans 2012 film installation ‘Elements’ was presented at Gertrude Street Projection Festival and explores our connection to the elements.

Evans presented ‘Bodies of Ice: Connecting Antarctic ice to our Physical Bodies Through Dance' at the 2022 SCAR Conference.

Evans 2022 work ‘Original Woman’ continues her exploration of our innate environmental connection.

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