Studio Orta

Antarctica World Passport is a limited edition artwork created by the artists Lucy + Jorge Orta. It forms a key-component of the artists' research project Antarctica, which explores topics relating to the environment, politics, autonomy, habitat, mobility and relationships among peoples. For the artists, the Antarctic continent embodies Utopia: the extreme climate imposes mutual aid and solidarity, freedom of research, of sharing and collaboration for the well-being of the planet earth. A metaphor, embodied by an immaculate white of the snow that contains all the wishes of humanity, spreading a message of hope for future generations. The artists have chosen Antartica because of the power it exerts on our minds. The continent has the earth's most hostile climatic conditions, it has the world's largest ice-desert and temperatures can drop as low as -80° C. Yet, it's an immense nature reserve whose glaciers contain 70% of the planet's fresh water. However, Antarctica's unique ecosystem in serious danger due to global warming. No permanent human settlements exist, there is no native population and it's the only politically neutral region on earth not claimed by any country. The governing Antarctic Treaty, which unites over 50 nations, has decreed Antarctica a continent dedicated to scientific research with common pacific aims: to encourage international cooperation and protect the environment for future generations. Antarctica is Hope!

Antarctica World passports are distributed from iterations of the passport office installed in museum exhbitions and UN forums on migration and climate change. Audiences can request a passport in agreement of the passport charter. The registration process takes place via an online platform mediated by trained passport officers. A unique identity number is generated from the platform to validate each passport and to release a copy of the printed edition. Geolocalisation technology locates each citizen on the world map, a potent visualisation portraying the ‘no-borders’ global population, from Europe to countries devasted by environmental and political catastrophe including the Solomon Islands, Philippines, Alaska, Somalia, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Eighth passport editions totaling 76,000 copies. 1st Ed. 10,000 Hangar Bicocca, Milan (2008); 2nd Ed. 30,000 Southbank Centre, London (2012); 3rd Ed. 10,000 La Villette, Paris (2014); 4th Ed. 5,000 Frieze Projects, London (2017); 5th Ed. 2,000 Migration Week, Marrakesh (2018); 6th Ed. 15,000 Diversity United, Berlin-Moscow (2021); 7th Ed. 2,000 MAIF Social Club, Paris (2022); 8th Ed. 2,000 Z33, Hasselt (2022).

To purchase one of the passport editions Studio Orta shop
To register for a virtual passport www.antarcticaworldpassport.com
To join the community @antarcticaworldpassport