An Extended Reality (XR) installation that makes the invisible threat of harmful Algal Blooms in our seas audible and visible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
What are we not hearing? Blooms<\/em> is an art-science project that asks us to pay attention to the phenomenon of algal blooms<\/strong> and the shifting relationships they signal between human activity and fragile aquatic ecosystems.
Algae proliferate due to eutrophication, a process where excess nutrients (from agriculture, cities, and industry) “feed” the water, creating ideal conditions for algae to thrive\u2014a phenomenon amplified by rising marine temperatures.
The work interprets complex scientific data, sourced from satellite imagery and microscopy, to illuminate the cosmopolitan algae species found in diverse ecosystems such as South East Asia, the Mediterranean, the Baltic Sea, and Brandenburg. At the core of the exhibition lies a microcosmic perspective<\/strong> that is both sensory and immersive.
The installation is a multi-sensorial Virtual Reality (VR)<\/strong> experience that\u2014accompanied by a carefully designed orchestral soundscape<\/strong> by award-winning composer Joyce Beetuan Koh\u2014animates the life of phytoplankton, making the invisible threat not only visible, but also audible<\/strong>.
The project is co-created by a multidisciplinary team: designer and artist Wendy Chua<\/strong> (who delves into the art-science research of coastal climate issues), designer Gustavo Maggio<\/strong> (specialized in novel materials and circular production systems), and award-winning composer Joyce Beetuan Koh<\/strong> (known for her abstract, unsentimental language). The technical collaboration with Playersjourney<\/strong> ensures a deep understanding of interactivity and user well-being in immersive environments.
Blooms<\/em> invites us to step into the micro-scale of a macro-climatic problem, pushing us to reconnect aesthetics with ecology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n