Review: Arctic, Culture and Climate at the British Museum

The British Museum’s Arctic, Culture and Climate exhibition provides a fascinating insight into the lives of people living with extremes of weather

T he British Museum’s current special exhibition, Arctic: Culture and Climate, has a clear highlight; if you will pardon the pun.

The entire length of one of its walls is dedicated to an ever-changing colour show that depicts the Arctic sky at different times of the year. This gradually changes from blue, to pink, to grey and, accompanied by the slightly eerie sound of indigenous people singing, is enough to make the visitor pull their coat a bit tighter just in case the temperature takes a sudden drop.

And climate, specifically how its change will affect Arctic communities, is one of the key pillars of the spectacle, says Hartwig Fischer, director of the British Museum: “It directly addresses the essential question of how humans can live with the impacts of extreme weather. The future and past come together in the present, united by the shared experiences of Arctic peoples.”

Encompassing artworks, clothing, utensils and photographs, the exhibition gives an insight into the lives of the four million people that live across the Arctic Circle, co-existing with polar night in winter, endless daylight in summer and the occasional apex predator.