The photography exhibition “Looking Beyond” was inaugurated today at the University of Tromsø (UiT) by Italian Ambassador Stefano Nicoletti and UiT Vice Rector Jørgen Berge. The event was attended by Mathieu Parker, Director of the Arctic Council Secretariat, Camilla Brekke, Director of the Norwegian Polar Institute, and numerous faculty, researchers, and students from the northernmost university on the planet, with its branch in Svalbard. The exhibition—promoted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Cooperation (MAECI) and produced in collaboration with the Italian Space Agency (ASI) and Telespazio/e-Geos—was organized by the Italian Embassy in Oslo, with the support of Vår Energi, part of the ENI Group. Tromsø is the second Norwegian stop for “Looking Beyond,” and the exhibition in the capital of the Norwegian Arctic opens exactly one year after its inauguration at the Science Museum (Vitenfabrikken) in Sandnes, near Stavanger.
The exhibition has already hosted the exhibition for six months, earning great acclaim from the public, who were able to admire 25 splendid high-resolution satellite images acquired by the COSMO-SkyMed constellation and sourced from the archives of Telespazio/e-Geos and the Italian Space Agency (ASI). The aim of the exhibition is to stimulate reflection on the impact of human activities on the environment and the role of satellite technology in addressing global challenges such as deforestation, desertification, and pollution. But that’s not all: divided into six thematic sections—agriculture, water, urban centers, climate change, natural disasters, and deforestation—”Looking Beyond” also aims to showcase the beauty of Earth seen from space through spectacular images of glaciers, lava flows, megacities, cultivated fields, and waterways from around the world. Italian Earth observation technology, particularly the satellites of the COSMO-SkyMed constellation, plays a fundamental role in environmental monitoring and risk management. Satellites support early warning systems for landslides and floods, coordinate relief efforts in the event of natural disasters, and monitor crisis areas. In Norway, COSMO-SkyMed data is used thanks to a collaboration agreement between e-Geos and Kongsberg Satellite Services (KSAT). In his speech at the inauguration, the Italian Ambassador to Norway, Stefano Nicoletti, stated: “Italian Earth observation technology, developed by ASI and Telespazio, is now widely used in crucial sectors, and the COSMO-SkyMed constellation also supports Norwegian land monitoring activities, thanks to collaboration with local partners.
We are extremely pleased to have been able to inaugurate a second stage of “Looking Beyond” in Norway, which demonstrates the great attention and sensitivity of local institutions and the public towards issues such as scientific research and environmental protection.” The Ambassador also thanked the University of Tromsø for its hospitality and stated: “We are committed to promoting Italian art, culture, and science in Norway. I would like to thank the Rector of the University of Tromsø, Dag Rune Olsen, and the UiT Artistic Committee for their invaluable contribution in organizing the event.” The “Looking Beyond” exhibition will remain open to the public for several months in the UiT Solhallen, offering visitors a unique opportunity to admire Earth from the perspective of space and reflect on our shared responsibility to protect the environment.
