The FoCSP are pleased to host ICELANDx207: Container a multimedia installation by Portland Photographer Justin Levesque. ICELANDx207: Container documents Iceland’s recent entry into Maine’s waterfront and economy via the Icelandic steamship company, Eimskip.
On view September 27 through October 12, the exhibition will be housed in an Eimskip shipping container installed temporarily in Congress Square Park. The opening reception is scheduled for Friday, September 30 at 6 p.m. and is free and open to the public.
In September 2015, Levesque spent nine days on board the MV Selfoss, an Eimskip container ship traveling from Portland to Iceland, part of their Green Line shipping route. ICELANDx207: Container is the record of that voyage. Using photography and podcasts, Levesque chronicled life aboard the ship with portraits of the all-Icelandic crew and images of the revitalized and bustling International Marine Terminal in Portland. In a nine-episode podcast ICELANDx207: Green Line, Levesque conducts interviews with the crew and shares his day-to-day experiences traveling on the North Atlantic Ocean.
Levesque describes Eimskip’s Green Line as “the invisible thread that connects our two cities, countries, cultures and economies.”
ICELANDx207: Container is on view in conjunction with the 2016 Arctic Council, an international conference dedicated to economic development in the Arctic region. Hosted by the Maine North Atlantic Development Office, the event takes place at the adjacent Westin Portland Harborview from October 4 through 6, 2016. For more information, visit www.maineandthearctic.com
Levesque has received grants from the Maine Arts Commission and SPACE Gallery’s Kindling Fund to support the project. Levesque’s North Atlantic endeavors will continue in 2017, when he sails through the Arctic for four weeks in June as part of The Arctic Circle residency program. The Arctic Circle brings together international artists of all disciplines as well as scientists, architects, and educators to collectively explore remote and fascinating destinations aboard the Antigua, a barquentine Tall Ship sailing vessel.
About Justin Levesque:
Justin Levesque is a 2010 graduate of the University of Southern Maine, where he received a BFA in photography, specializing in the critical analysis of images and their impact on social norms and community expectations. Levesque lives in Portland and has his own design studio, Shop Geometry. He also serves on the board for the Hemophilia Alliance of Maine and runs a group of programs called FOLX that celebrate arts, creativity, and visual literacy in the bleeding disorders community.
For more information about the exhibition, visit ICELANDx207: http://icelandx207.com
Important Links:
ICELANDx207:
ICELANDx207: Green Line Podcast: http://icelandx207.com/
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Instagram: https://instagram.com/
or search #ICELANDx207
Justin Levesque – Artist Website: http://shopgeometry.com