The Book of Ice

“This is not cool, this is freezing. I still have frostbite.”

–Stefan Sagmeister


Antarctica, the only uninhabited continent, belongs to no single country and has no government. While certain countries lay claim to portions of the landmass, it is the only solid land on the planet with no unified national affiliation. Drawing on the continent’s rich history of inspiring exploration and artistic endeavors, Paul D. Miller a.k.a. DJ Spooky has put together his own multimedia, multidisciplinary study of Antactica. Book of Ice is one aspect of this ongoing project.


In light of climate change and tireless human enterprise to be present everywhere on the planet, Miller uses Antarctica as a point on entry for contemplating humanity’s relationship with the natural world. Using photographs and film stills from his journey to the bottom of the world, along with original artworks and re-appropriated archival materials, Miller ponders how Antarctica could liberate itself from the rest of the world. Part fictional manifesto, part history and part science book, Book of Ice furthers Miller’s reputation as an innovative artist capable of making the old look new.


The Book of Ice contains an introduction by celebrated physicist Brian Greene, author of the bestselling Fabric of the Cosmos.


“There is only one DJ Spooky. He clearly has mastered this music area as an official far-reaching art form and craft.”

–Chuck D, Public Enemy


“A rare mind encounters a rare place–this is an entirely new take on the bottom of the world, very cool (but getting warmer).”

–Bill McKibben, American environmentalist, journalist, and author


“Antarctica is full of wonder. Paul D Miller has visited and returned with treasure. You hold in your hand interviews, photographs, histories, architectural plans, propaganda, sheet music, hyperlinks and a manifesto demanding that you never set foot there. This is work as unbounded and untameable as the continent itself. Read it and feel dislocated in the best possible way.”

–Raj Patel, author of The Value of Nothing