From the Monuments series (2014) by Fabien Baron
Photo: Fabien Baron via The Telegraph

An exhibition of Fabien Baron’s stunning portfolio of photographs taken of frozen landscapes in Greenland has opened at Sotheby’s London as part of the art-packed Frieze Week. The project, entitled Monuments, marks the collaboration between the fashion maison Moncler and the photographic brand Leica, which has yielded a “Moncler Edition” of the new fast-lensed Leica X camera.

Baron, the editorial director of Interview magazine, was tapped by Moncler president Remo Ruffini to test the new camera in the harsh but magnificent ice fields and glaciers of Greenland, the least densely populated country in the world.

Baron, however, didn’t go for the documentary approach to capture the landscapes. Instead, he shot the icebergs at night using artificial light, creating a set of dazzling tableaux that turn nature into a theatrical stage of sorts.

From the Monuments series (2014) by Fabien Baron
Photo: Fabien Baron via The Telegraph

“I wanted to convey an idea that this was not real, even though it was real, a little bit of metamorphosis of the place,” said Baron to WWD. “I felt like the place was so monumental, I wanted to light it like a monument, to show it in a different light.”

“The challenge between man and nature, which drives us to seek new creative solutions for taking on the harshest climes and the coldest temperatures, is part of the DNA of Moncler,” said Ruffini in a statement.

After its London run, Monuments will travel to New York. The tricolored Leica “Moncler Edition” will go on sale at Leica and Moncler boutiques later this month, as well as at moncler.com.

From the Monuments series (2014) by Fabien Baron
Photo: Fabien Baron via The Telegraph