BARDO. 2016
Bardo examines a static state of existence between death and rebirth. The abandoned Soviet village of Pyramiden once represented the resilience, will, and the ability of man to overcome his environment but has since slipped into a cold slumber with the evacuation of its population. Still apparent is evidence of the resourcefulness and camaraderie required to exist and function in isolation. Now frozen in a state of stillness, Pyramiden offers a simultaneous look back and forward – like a time capsule, Pyramiden relinquishes secrets of a past era while questioning an uncertain future.

600 Million Years. 2015
‘Freezer Burn’ is a series of works that investigate what makes the Arctic unique and why it is believed to be a bellwether for the future of modern civilization. ‘600 Million Years’ documents 600 million years of tectonic shift resulting in the Arctic’s current geological makeup. The video flickers through an eclectic collection of rocks collected around the archipelago of Svalbard. Some of which have traveled from the Southern to the Northern hemisphere over the course of its life. The “Dazzled” crate is an indication that what is in the box is not seen or ignored by us all. While it took 600 million years (or more) for the earth to create the rocks in the collection, it only took the artist a mere 60 minutes to scan one of the rocks and have a facsimile created with a 3D printer.

Liminal Observation System 1.0. 2015
‘Freezer Burn’ is a series of works that investigate what makes the Arctic unique and why it is believed to be a bellwether for the future of modern civilization. ‘Liminal Observation System 1.0’ depicts both beauty and dystopia. A ‘glacier-like’ form rotates on a platform exposed to a flashing strobe. Each time the strobe flashes a unique shape is projected on the wall. Change, dynamism, and unpredictability are all metaphors in the work that reference the character of a changing arctic environment.
Note: The text above was written by the Artist. No modification was made by C.O.C.A.
As a frustrated architect, explorer, and social examiner, Derek Coté’s process relies on first-hand experiences. He is drawn to far away, remote, and cold places, documentary film, and new materials. His films and installations focus on translating liminal spaces in a non-linear and experimental fashion. Coté is an award-winning artist and filmmaker. He studied at Virginia Commonwealth University where he received his MFA in Sculpture + Extended Media and has had exhibitions and screenings nationally and internationally.