Zone of Absolute Discomfort : Advance and Retreat in Russia’s Arctic
Justin Jin / Cosmos & Geo Germany
Russian bureaucrats call the Arctic the “Zone of Absolute Discomfort” – an icy hinterland awful to live in, but just habitable enough for hired men to extract billions of tons of oil, gas and minerals trapped under the tundra, giving Moscow immense resources to bully gas-hungry European neighbors. During visits to formerly secret towns and villages, Justin Jin was struck by the promise of wealth, by the inhabitants and the ecological crises. His work focuses on the people of the Arctic as history unfolds in a landscape of haunting fragility.
Partly produced for Geo Germany and partly supported by Magnum Foundation.
Justin Jin
Justin Jin (born 1974, Hong Kong) is an internationally renowned photographer working with the world’s leading publications and organisations to photograph themes in Europe, China and Russian-speaking countries.
Since picking up a camera 15 years ago, Justin has become a thoughtful storyteller, using image and text to explore international issues. While his scope is wide, his photographs are intimate, real and powerful.
Before embarking on an independent career, Justin worked for Reuters as a correspondent in Beijing and chief representative in Shenzhen, China, managing a bilingual financial news bureau.
He is the recipient of a Magnum Foundation award, the Canon Prize and a World Press Photo Masterclass scholarship, among other prizes. A special edition of his work was exhibited and collected by the Rijksmuseum Amsterdam.
Justin graduated from Cambridge University in Philosophy and Political Sciences. He speaks fluent Mandarin, Cantonese and English, good Russian and Dutch.
He is currently based in Brussels, having lived in Russia, China and the UK. He is represented by Cosmos in Paris, Panos in London and Focus in Hamburg.
Zone of Absolute Discomfort : Advance and Retreat in Russia’s Arctic – Justin Jin
From september 1st to september 21st
Couvent des Minimes
Rue François Rabelais
66000 Perpignan – France
