ARCTIS – Mapping the Invisible in the Anthropocene
Why now? The project is officially anchored within the United Nations Decade of Ocean Science for Sustainable Development (2021–2030). Following an upcoming pilot phase on the research vessel ALDEBARAN, we will calibrate methods that link scientific precision with the radical subjectivity of art to experimentally expand our perception of reality.
artistic research
"Lost Volumes" a "City Scale Sculpture"
The artistic research project „Lost Volumes“ is deeply connected to developments in the field of Artificial Intelligence and, in particular, climate change. In a vibrant metropolis like Berlin, the profound changes in the biosphere are scarcely perceptible.
My vision encompasses a virtual sculpture that reflects the magnitude of the lost ice mass of the Vernagtferner, one of the last alpine glaciers. I aim for this lost volume that is transformed into a virtual sculpture to be observed from various vantage points. Through the overwhelming dimensions, all references to human scale are lost. „Lost Volumes“ becomes a reality expanding the city into previously unknown dimensions – an overlapping landscape that can be fully grasped only by walking through and flying over.
In addition to exploring new insights into the perception of intertwined sensory experiences in virtual sculptures, the central question for me is:
How can urban dwellers emotionally connect with the issue of climate change by being presented with visual representations of real processes?
The initial design has already been completed and can be accessed as a video below. This video projection showcases a panorama of Berlin overlaid with a three-dimensional volume describing the lost ice mass from 2009 to 2016 in its original scale. The multimedia presentation includes an audio collage titled „The Climb,“ created by Nicole Leeck. This collage is composed of recordings captured during the ascent to the glacier in October 2023.
Special thanks to Dr. Christoph Mayer from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich for providing the crucial satellite data that has made this project possible.
Lost Volumes (2009-2016) – The Vernagtferner in Three Conceptual Views, video 2.32 min., audio tracks: Nicole Leeck, 2024, Berlin
Concept for the AR-Work „Lost Volumes“ a „City Scale Sculpture“, video 4.15 min., audio track: „The Climb“ (Nicole Leeck), 2023, Berlin
(Link: Documentation): Shown at the exhibition „Erweiterte Realitäten – Künstlerische Prozesse zum Anthropozän“
A Virtual Reality Project
London's City Scale Sculpture
Virtuality – Interwoven Sculpture: Radical and Absolute
Sculpture is no longer material that is experienced by touching. It manifests itself as a virtual reality in the outdoor space. The environment, i.e. the space, remains tangible. The observer is on-site and can perceive, feel, smell and hear the place with all his senses. The virtual sculpture requires an extended perception. It becomes a truth that can only be experienced on site relating to the analogue space. Digital tools allow its perception. It is not a pure virtual reality, but rather an interweaving of the material space with a virtual manifestation of a sculpture. This sculpture cannot become matter. It exists in this meta-level between digitality and the analogue.
Please share this with others
This project requires funding.