Surtsey, The shape of an island

Look at the book, Surtsey la forme d’une île, 2020. éditions Creaphis. (only in french)

https://www.editions-creaphis.com/fr/catalogue/view/1238/surtsey/?of=6

It was at the origin of time, While reigned the nothingness. Neither sand, nor sea had there, Nor ice-cold waves. Neither the earth, Nor the very high sky existed. Immense was the abyss, But no plant grew.
Edda

On Surtsey – watch video 40′ : https://youtu.be/EAxmV_cWAFA

Surtsey. Situated in the South of Iceland, Surtsey is an island, appeared from streams on November 14th, 1963 further to a submarine eruption. Since, it does not stop resisting in the ocean, in the assaults of the violent winds which sweep these regions of the Atlantic Ocean the North, and to the people.

The place

Surtsey is a short-lived place; an uninhabited place; a protected place; a said place; and as many islands: a wished place.

Real laboratory of the Creation, Surtsey is the island of the scholars, or rather, the island of the knowledge. Eden of the thought, it does not attract that the scientists; it is today as ethnologist and photographer that we are interested in it in turn. In the continuation of works realized previously on the notion of place (cf. book and exhibition The island Carn), Surtsey imposed upon us as an evidence. its uncertain, imperceptible character, in fact in a sense paradigm of islands, and it is also this fragility of the place, as what we are going to be able to find there, which attracts us and motivates this project.

Ethnographic survey : Vanessa Doutreleau.

Extracts interviews: Borgþór Magnússon, Erling Ólafsson, Lovísa Ásbjörnsdóttir, Karl Gunnarsson, Sturla Friðriksson, Árni Johnsen, Þorunn Bára Björnsdóttir. Enquête ethnographique : Vanessa Doutreleau

– « þegar ég fór út í Surtsey það var svona, « ah ég er búin að sjá svo mikið af kort og myndum, ég þekki það bara út og inn »… en það sem komir á óvart var all of miklu miklu stærra ; litirnir, og lyktin og hljóðin og all þetta… (…) það var svo indislegt ! ég segi stundum að það er eins og ég hef orðinn ástfangin ! »
« En allant sur Surtsey, j’avais l’impression de la connaître avant d’y aller tellement j’avais travaillé sur des images avant, des cartes etc. Mais ce qui était surprenant en y allant, c’est que tout était tellement plus grand, les couleurs plus vives, les sons, les odeurs… Tellement beau ! Je dis parfois que c’est comme si j’étais comme tombée amoureuse ! »
– « There are many truths. If you go to see the island it’s one truth. I don’t need to go to the island at the moment ; I would be probably disappointed ! Maybe I want to go to see inside the island which is in my head, before I see the outside of it . It’s more I want to have my island, my imagination (…) it’s like a package, you only see the package, you don’t see what’s inside of it. »
– « Eg fylgst með svo langan tíma, að það er svona hluti af sjálfur mér. Og ég er búin að ganga um alla eyjuna, og veit hvað hún hefur upp að bjóða ,en samt hún er að breytast, hún er að minnka. (…) Það er alltaf spenandi að koma aftur að sama stað til að sjá hvort hann hefur breyst og hvern hann hefur breyst. þegar við komum í Surtsey thað var ströndin alltaf sem breyst mjög mikið ; við erum alltaf að skoða nýja strönd, og sama á botninum, það er aldrei sami staðurinn. »
« J’y vais depuis tellement longtemps que c’est comme une partie de moi, je suis allé partout sur l’île, donc je sais ce qu’elle peut offrir, et en même temps elle change tout le temps, rétrécit. C’est toujours excitant de retourner sur un même lieu pour voir comment et où il a changé. On ne voit jamais la même plage, et pareil en bas, sous l’eau, ce n’est jamais pareil, jamais le même lieu. »

– « For me, this island is not only an island. It’s a representation, a symbol. A symbol of life, with strength and fragility … here now, gone tomorrow, like life is, but always comes back . »
– « Well, Surtsey is my favorite project. That’s as simple as that. And Surtsey is my favorite spot on earth. That’s as simple as that ! »
– «Surtsey, it’s like meeting an old friend that you go to visit every year »
– « Á þennan dag þegar Surtseyjar gosey byrjaði var ég 11 ár gamall og ég mann eftir því að Mamma mín, hún segðu okkur krökkunum að það var að byrja eldgósum í Vestmanneyjar. Það var soldið snjó koma, og sást ekki út til eyja, það var ekki gott skyggni, við sáum ekki neitt eldgos . En Mamma hún fór eins og gert var í gamla daga, og fór hún út með disk, hvíttan disk, mata disk, og set hann út , og svo snjóaði í diskinn, og svo tók hún diskinn inn um kvöldin, til að athuga hvort hefur komin einhver aska ; það hafa gerir folk líka í gamla daga út af kindunum og hestunum þeir mátt ekki borða ösku, það var ekki gott. Svo tók hún disk inn með snjóunum og svo það var bara vatn og soldið aska á diskinn. Og það var það fyrsta sem ég mann, fyrsta sem ég sá umerkið um af Surtseyjargos ; aska á diskinn »
«Quand Surtsey est entrée en éruption j’avais 11 ans, et je me souviens que ma mère nous a dit qu’une éruption commençait aux îles Vestmann. Il tombait un peu de neige, aussi on ne voyait pas les îles, il n’y avait pas de visibilité, et on ne voyait aucune éruption .Mais ma mère a fait comme on faisait avant ; elle a pris une assiette, une assiette blanche, l’a mise dehors, sur laquelle neige tombait, et elle l’a rentrée le soir à l’intérieur afin de voir s’il y avait de la cendre dedans. C’est ainsi que faisaient les gens autrefois afin que les moutons et les chevaux ne mangent pas de la cendre, c’était très mauvais. Puis elle a pris l’assiette avec la neige, et il ne restait alors plus que de l’eau et un peu de cendre dans l’assiette. C’est le premier souvenir marquant que je garde de l’éruption de Surtsey ; cette cendre dans l’assiette. »
– « I was a boy scout when I was youngster, looking for jewlerry somewhere, and trying to find something new or remarquable, and when I went to Surtsey, I had the same feeling that I would be looking after, not a gold, but hunting something new, like a new plant, a new insect or new bird. I was on a treasure island. »
– « Birds life is always making a new picture every year. It’s like to see sculpture with the life. It’s always interesting to see how the island is changing, (…) like a person, his character is changing. »
– « It was also interesting when the second eruption started, then it opened like with a knife when you open the skin ; instead of the blood there was lava, and no sound….quiet. That was the beginning of a new land. »