Unfamiliar Ground #1 – Anarchy in the Arctic
In November 2025 Haptic Architects launched the first in a series of intimate evening talks, Unfamiliar Ground, sponsored by Botivo and MOTH:.Designed to spark fresh thinking and foster cross-disciplinary connection through storytelling and idea sharing, Unfamiliar Ground will bring together voices from across the architectural, ecological and cultural spectrum to offer new perspectives on how we shape, and are shaped by, our environments, traversing new terrains, meandering from A to Z through conversation, exploration and adventure
For the inaugural event we welcomed Alicia Pivaro who presented Anarchy in the Arctic – Stories from the Frozen Edge, moderated by Jemima Burrill.
“A tale of two journeys”, Alicia took us through the build up to her expedition to the Arctic, and the adventure itself, sharing reflections on connection, community and resilience, ending with a call to discover “the seeds beneath the snow”.
Alicia’s journey brought together her lifelong interests in radical creativity; blending art, activism, and architecture. She described how the Arctic voyage became a living experiment in collaboration, care and shared humanity, and how the residency revealed both the physical and emotional extremes of the Arctic.
Alicia Pivaro is a climate and community activist, educator, and artist with 40 years’ experience of making projects that celebrate alternative views of the world, hidden histories, and places and people that have been under-valued. Alicia’s bold adventures in the Arctic have inspired a deep and personal inquiry into landscape, isolation, resilience, and design.
Jemima Burrill is an artist, curator and cultural strategist, who was the founding curator of the NOW Gallery on Greenwich Peninsula, leading a ten-year programme of exhibitions and events that welcomed over 300,000 visitors. She has also worked on cultural strategy for the Serpentine Gallery, Great Western Studios, and the Arts Council.Through stories from the frozen edge of the world, Alicia will challenge us to rethink our assumptions about territory, community, and the future of place-making in a time of ecological uncertainty.
In November 2025 Haptic Architects launched the first in a series of intimate evening talks, Unfamiliar Ground, sponsored by Botivo and MOTH:.Designed to spark fresh thinking and foster cross-disciplinary connection through storytelling and idea sharing, Unfamiliar Ground will bring together voices from across the architectural, ecological and cultural spectrum to offer new perspectives on how we shape, and are shaped by, our environments, traversing new terrains, meandering from A to Z through conversation, exploration and adventure
For the inaugural event we welcomed Alicia Pivaro who presented Anarchy in the Arctic – Stories from the Frozen Edge, moderated by Jemima Burrill.
“A tale of two journeys”, Alicia took us through the build up to her expedition to the Arctic, and the adventure itself, sharing reflections on connection, community and resilience, ending with a call to discover “the seeds beneath the snow”.
Alicia’s journey brought together her lifelong interests in radical creativity; blending art, activism, and architecture. She described how the Arctic voyage became a living experiment in collaboration, care and shared humanity, and how the residency revealed both the physical and emotional extremes of the Arctic.
Alicia Pivaro is a climate and community activist, educator, and artist with 40 years’ experience of making projects that celebrate alternative views of the world, hidden histories, and places and people that have been under-valued. Alicia’s bold adventures in the Arctic have inspired a deep and personal inquiry into landscape, isolation, resilience, and design.
Jemima Burrill is an artist, curator and cultural strategist, who was the founding curator of the NOW Gallery on Greenwich Peninsula, leading a ten-year programme of exhibitions and events that welcomed over 300,000 visitors. She has also worked on cultural strategy for the Serpentine Gallery, Great Western Studios, and the Arts Council.Through stories from the frozen edge of the world, Alicia will challenge us to rethink our assumptions about territory, community, and the future of place-making in a time of ecological uncertainty.