On the Edge - Mammoth Filming with Michael

On Monday, the Explorers Against Extinction team spent an inspiring day in the Norfolk sunshine down at Happisburgh beach with renowned visual artist Michael Pinsky, filming the opening sequence for his latest project, Mammoth.

Michael's work spans galleries and public spaces worldwide, often focusing on climate change, urban design, and societal well-being. His methodology is deeply rooted in engaging with local environments and communities to create thought-provoking installations.

Mammoth symbolically links ancient climate events to contemporary climate threats by transporting  mammoth teeth found at Happisburgh beach, Norfolk, UK, to Bikini Atoll in the Marshall Islands. 

Mammoth, part of the Extinction and Our Life is Here initiatives aims to raise awareness about climate change and species extinction.

The Extinction Collection

The Extinction Collection curated by Explorers Against Extinction is a powerful initiative that merges art and activism to address one of the most critical issues of our time. By showcasing the beauty and fragility of the natural world through artistic expressions, it aims to inspire action and drive meaningful change in the fight against extinction and climate change.

Our Life is Here

The Our Life is Here initiative, also known as "Kõmij Mour Ijin," is a multidisciplinary project that explores the impacts of climate change on the Marshall Islands, a region severely threatened by rising sea levels. This project, which includes contributions from various international artists and scientists, aims to bring global attention to the environmental and cultural challenges faced by the Marshallese people.

A Day at Happisburgh Beach

Happisburgh beach was deserted at 8am as we gathered shortly after high tide to begin filming. With our feet at the water's edge and the sun beaming down on us we helped Michael to set up the first shots. It was fascinating to watch him at work, and understand what he wanted to achieve with these opening sequences.

Fully briefed on what was required, slightly troubled by the weight of responsibility, and the words 'get the horizon straight' ringing in our ears, Rob and I then moved to the clifftop with all the equipment to film Michael from above.  

It would be fair to say that the clifftop location presented various challenges to filmmaking rookies. You can't get near to the cliff edge as it's very unstable,  and with the grass very high and dense at the moment, there's little even ground for positioning the tripod with a clear view of the beach. 

A lack of phone signal meant we couldn't easily communicate with Michael who was a good 30 feet below us on the beach. 

Nevertheless,  we channelled our best Spielberg and began filming, engulfed in a constant drift of thistle down and dandelion 'clocks' and tested by a couple of runaway dogs down on the beach.

Just at the last moment, everything seemed to come together - even the cormorants were accommodating,  gracefully taking flight across the water. The scene looked epic. Let's hope Michael thinks so too!

After a very exciting morning, back we trudged to Explorer HQ to put the kettle on...

Mammoth is part of the Extinction Collection, touring the UK this autumn.

See dates and venues here>>