Ragnar Axelsson: Where the World Is Melting
Podcasts · 26 Sep 2023
0 min read
For over 40 years, Prix Pictet Human shortlisted photographer Ragnar Axelsson has been photographing Iceland, Siberia, and Greenland, documenting how climate change is profoundly altering the environment and the lives of people in the Arctic.
Ragnar Axelsson on his series "Where the World Is Melting"
Aleksandr, the Nenets, Siberia, 2016. The Nenets are an indigenous Siberian people whose economy is driven by the reindeer meat and skins they sell. Aleksandr, a Siberian reindeer herder, was looking out for a herding ground for his flock of reindeer out on the Siberian tundra. It is a hard life as the Nenets have to move every week and find new feeding grounds for the reindeer.
With rapidly melting sea ice and receding glaciers, ancient traditions are in jeopardy as Inuit hunters are being forced to abandon their villages. Ragnar's mission is to preserve this history through his photography.
In our latest Prix Pictet podcast episode, Ragnar Axelsson shares his unique perspective on the Arctic and the struggles of its people – giving a voice to those living in this remote part of the world and highlighting the urgent need to address climate change.