Paper Short Abstract:

The paper sheds light on how current socio-cultural and ecological dynamics are influencing the living conditions and cultural status of the Atlantic puffin in Iceland. Particular attention is given to visual and material representations of the bird.

Paper Abstract:

The paper sheds light on how current socio-cultural and ecological dynamics are influencing the living conditions and cultural status of the Atlantic puffin in Iceland. These developments include abrupt climate change, increased human and more-than-human mobility, and the massive extinction of wild animals, frequently described as the sixth mass extinction. According to the European Red List of Birds published in 2021, the population size of puffins is estimated to have decreased by 68% over the past 50 years. The paper investigates the role and symbolic meaning of the puffin and how it has developed through the ages from mainly being a food source towards becoming one of the key tourist symbols in Iceland and major attraction for adventure seeking global tourists who want to come close to the living animal. Particular attention is given to projects and performances by several contemporary Icelandic artists who have engaged with the puffin as a complex naturecultural symbol and harbinger with dark and gloomy ecological message attached, concerning climatic collapse and rapid animal extinction.