The spinning movements and collisions lead to the damages. After hours of running, the program stops at the last captured comment and leaves the ruin. Until the moment of finishing the documentation of this project, the last comment captured was on 2021-5-26 01:52:56 (CST). The decision of releasing treated water hasn't been changed and the radioactivity has uncertain effects on the giant kelp, or fish and other marine life.
The visual experience is composed of Twitter comments projected on the wall together with the shadows of the spinning movements. The kelp leaves gradually break into pieces. The sounds created by the collisions of the sculptures are another important part of experience.
The giant kelp sculptures are made of plaster and connected with electronics. Their spinning movements are controlled by Twitter comments. This image shows the sculptures prior to the start of the installation period (without any projection）.
Fukushima Offset
2021.8
Reference
Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIJFTbAS6S0&t=231s
Music: https://www.westonemusic.com/album/wom-502/celebrating-500-inspiring-orchestral
Project
"Japan announces it will release treated radioactive water from Fukushima nuclear plant into sea.
Radioactive iodine from Fukushima found in california kelp. Some radioactive material probably accumulated in marine life that eat the kelp.
There is no published research on what radioactivity might do to fish at the levels found in the kelp.
The announcement comes a decade after a massive earthquake and tsunami triggered a triple meltdown in March 2011."
Fukushima Offset explores the dynamic relationship between ecology, media news, and public discussion, within the context of Japan’s Fukushima treated water event. An installation is designed to represent this complex relationship through sounds and visuals. The main component is a set of four mixed-media motor-controlled mobile sculptures representing giant kelp. Twitter comments from four public media sources (BBCNews, guardianeco, zlj517, Greenpeace) are projected onto the moving sculpture. Its spinning motions are controlled by the time at which the comments were posted. The giant kelp gradually breaks apart and creates sounds as its various parts rotate and collide with one another.
As the collisions erode the sculpture over time, the installation slowly transforms from the representation of a biological species into a complex social symbol that invites reflection on public discourses about the environment. After the event is filtered by the media, does the ecological issue transform into political condemnation and a bargaining chip for taking sides? This project asks whether peoples’ opinions can be passed on to reality to have a positive impact and explores the relationship between reality (marine life) and social discussion.
Installation
Code / Modelling / Projection / Electronics / Plaster / Wood
2023
FutureTense Media Art Award - Top 10 selected
FutureTense Exhibition