Artists in the Environmental Conflicts: Art Based Action Research

There have been many discussions about the intensive use of natural resources in Lapland. For example, several new mining projects have been planned and the exploration of minerals has
increased. Consequently, critical voices have been raised and some activists and artists have pointed out the need for natural resource protection. At the same time, sustainable development, reduction of biodiversity, continuously growing energy consumption and pollution have been the subjects of
eco-conscious artists for decades. The motive of my doctoral research, ‘Artists in the Landscape of Berry Wars and Reindeer Husbandry’, was to identify how contemporary artists can participate in environmental politics through art (Huhmarniemi 2016). My Doctoral theses focused on the contemporary value debates and conflicts related to the use of land and natural resources in Finnish Lapland. The topics of the debates centre on the issues that are impacting the environment and communities in the northern region of Finland. I broached these topics with a collaborative and interdisciplinary orientation, working with experts from other fields, creating artistic productions and writing research articles. I also analysed the works of other artists and commentaries on those works, in order to assess the potential collaboration in the international art world between contemporary artists and representatives of different scientific disciplines.