The Air We Breathe

Gállok, a rural village far north located in Jokkmokk Municipality, Norrbotten County, is a place that is not yet an operational landscape but is on its way to becoming one. The proposed Kallak mine threatens what is currently calm, peaceful, and natural: Gállok. And not to forget the traditional land metabolism operated by the Sami, the rich history, and the high natural value the peninsula possesses. Gállok may be seen as a prime example of how challenging the relationship between a place and its embodiments can become when encompassed within the broader environmental and socio-political context. And not to forget the traditional land metabolism operated by the Sami, the rich history, and the high natural value the peninsula possesses.

With a central focus on air and air quality, The Air We Breathe uses Gállok as a case study to explore if and how interdisciplinary methods can provide alternative ways of representing place and thereby contribute to more environmentally ethical planning that takes all layers, whether they are physical or phenomenological, of the affected place in consideration. The project aims to create an interdisciplinary discussion with the core of finding something of a counterbalance that can promote sustainability for more people, not least (and, yes, here it is perfectly okay to be a little bit selfish!) so that we humans can breathe cleaner air ourselves.