A Cold Stargaze

Floating above the clouds and materialising out of the mists, mountains — real or mythical — represent more than just geological formations: they are cosmic axes, junctions between the Earth and the sky. Firmly grounded on Earth, territorially bounded, yet reaching towards the heavens, they hold a central place in many cosmological and scientific narratives.

Situated between documentary and fiction, magic and realism, mountaintops and underground environments, 'A Cold Stargaze' is a reflection on the use of mountains as a technological foundation for encountering the cosmos. Inspired by alpinist-astronomer Joseph Vallot, a video portrays scientific practices in mountainous environments, questioning the legacy of scientific stargazing in high-altitude regions. Echoing scenes from the video, hand-drawn diagrams etched in metal visualise scientific routines unfolding in underground labs. By exposing the limits of the scientific paradigm’s visual regime, the installation presents mountains as active agents and living systems.