Arctic
culture and climate
Past exhibition
22 October 2020 – 21 February 2021
Room 30
The Sainsbury Exhibitions Gallery
Sign up to our emails and be the first to hear about upcoming exhibitions and events.
For the catalogue, visit the British Museum Shop.
From ancient mammoth ivory sculpture to modern refitted snow mobiles, the objects in this immersive exhibition revealed the creativity and resourcefulness of Indigenous Peoples in the Arctic.
Developed in collaboration with Arctic communities, the exhibition celebrated the ingenuity and resilience of Arctic Peoples throughout history. It told the powerful story of respectful relationships with icy worlds and how Arctic Peoples have harnessed the weather and climate to thrive.
The dramatic loss of ice and erratic weather caused by climate change are putting unprecedented pressure on Arctic Peoples, testing their adaptive capacities and threatening their way of life.
What happens in the Arctic will affect us all and this exhibition provided a timely reminder of what the world can learn from its people.
Long ago people knew something was going to happen to this earth. How they knew it, I don't know. An Elder mentioned in the 1940s that this climate is going to change. They meant climate change.
– Martha Snowshoe, Teetl'it Gwich'in
Take a 360° virtual tour of Arctic
Specially curated to bring our five-star exhibition online, enjoy a self-guided 360° virtual tour of Arctic: culture and climate. With interactive features, you’ll enjoy a rich and immersive experience – uncovering the incredible story of Arctic Peoples throughout history.
Journey through the entire exhibition or take a tour of the exhibition highlights.
Curators' tour of the Citi exhibition 'Arctic: culture and climate'
Highlights
-
![A carved ivory plate bearing six holes]()
© Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) of Russian Academy of Sciences. © MAE RAS (Kunstkamera). Decorated ivory plate
-
![A hand-coloured lithograph depicting life in a village. The scenes depict the sun and moon, animals, homes and nature.]()
Reproduced with the permission of West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative. 'Nunavut Qajanartuk (Our beautiful land)'
-
![A young girl's parka coat bearing a fur-lined hood, fur-lined cuffs and colourful embroidery on the skirt]()
Young girl's parka
-
![A pair of snow googles made of reindeer skin and adorned with glass beads]()
Pair of snow goggles
-
![A painting of Loon birds and a seal in the ocean]()
Reproduced with permission of the West Baffin Eskimo Cooperative. 'Loons and Seal in Ocean Swell'
-
![A carved wooden spoon bearing a small engraving of a farm animal]()
Wooden serving spoon
-
![A waterproof whaling suit fashioned with a drawstring hood and a large hole in the middle.]()
National Museum of Denmark. Photo by Roberto Fortuna. Waterproof whaling suit
-
![A copper mask with two eye holes and an engraved nose]()
© Peter the Great Museum of Anthropology and Ethnography (Kunstkamera) of Russian Academy of Sciences. © MAE RAS (Kunstkamera). Brass and copper mask
-
![A hat embroidered with colourful triangular stitching, tassels and a large rounded peak]()
Sámi hat
-
![A model of a reindeer camp carved from ivory and bone. The model depicts humans and reindeer outside a large tented home surrounded by trees.]()
Courtesy of Museum of Archaeology & Anthropology. Model of a reindeer camp
-
![An orange walrus mask fashioned with two eye holes, a mouth hole and two walrus tusks]()
Reproduced with the permission of the estate of Paul Tiulana. Walrus mask
Reviews
Inside the exhibition
Exhibition supporters
Lead supporter
We believe that by understanding the past, we all have the opportunity to define the future. No one brings the past to life like the British Museum, whose permanent collection is one of the finest in existence, spanning two million years of human history. With the Citi exhibition Arctic: culture and climate the Museum used its collection to demonstrate how human resilience and ingenuity have helped the inhabitants of the Arctic region to survive and thrive. However, the exhibition also highlighted the challenge that we all face with the changing climate.
It is a challenge that we must all address and, as a global bank, we play an essential role in financing a sustainable economy. We are committed to financing and facilitating clean energy, infrastructure and technology projects that support environmental solutions and reduce the impacts of climate change, on rich and diverse communities such as those that inhabit the circumpolar Arctic.
Supported by
Julie and Stephen Fitzgerald
Julie Fitzgerald and Stephen Fitzgerald AO are proud to support the Citi exhibition Arctic: culture and climate, which celebrated the rich and diverse cultural legacy of the Arctic people.
‘We were interested in the innovative and creative ways that Arctic people have adapted to varied climates and frozen weather conditions for nearly 30,000 years, and we wanted to help shed light on these amazing histories. The changing climate is an issue close to our hearts, and we are thrilled to be a part of this exhibition.’
Julie and Stephen are longstanding supporters of the British Museum's work, including recent exhibitions Reimagining Captain Cook: Pacific Perspectives and Desire, Love, Identity: exploring LGBTQ histories. Their charitable work covers a wide range of causes, including Stephen’s role as a Director of the Great Barrier Reef Foundation.
Supported by
AKO Foundation was set up in 2013 by Nicolai Tangen, CEO and Founder of AKO Capital, a native Norwegian who lives in the UK. Funded with a total of more than £300 million, the Foundation supports initiatives within the arts, education and climate. AKO Foundation has already undertaken a range of exciting projects with the British Museum. In 2019, the Foundation supported the exhibition Edvard Munch: love and angst and in 2020, was the sole supporter of the library of exile installation by Edmund de Waal. AKO Foundation is also instrumental in establishing the new Kunstsilo Museum in Kristiansand, Norway, which will house the largest collection of modernist Nordic art.
