The ocean is the source of life and it controls everything. It controls the weather, it controls the climate, it controls the oxygen we breath. Without a healthy ocean, we do not have a healthy planet.
Beneath the surface of the ocean lies a hidden ecosystem – coral reefs. These underwater ecosystems house the largest variety of life besides rainforests. Reefs are also sourced of food and income supporting over 500 million people. They are like underwater cities, heart of the ocean, keeping the ocean, marine lives, our planet and our lives to run smoothly.
Unlike human-made cities, which are mostly growing and expanding, coral cities are disappearing. And those that remain are at risk of becoming bleached, weathered, and devoid of life. In the last 30 years, we have lost 50% of the world’s corals.
Out of site, out of mind. 2°C creates a correlation of coral reefs and cities we live in to allow audience to experience, to feel and to understand what’s going on in these underwater cities, in order to relate the hugh threat the coral reefs are facing.
2°C is a unique AI generated art installation imagined through the mind of a machine. Utilising machine learning algorithms trained on thousands of archival images of geometric structures of man made cities and naturally occurring organic corals forms, the AI takes this learned data to visualise an otherwise unseen coral city.
2°C is about coral bleaching, one of the phenomenon mainly caused by rising sea temperature brought about by climate change. To prevent the massive, irreversible impacts of ocean warming on the coral reefs and their services, it is crucial to limit the global average temperature increase to below 2°C above pre-industrial levels.
The installation is temperature sensitive. When more audience are inside the room causing an increase in temperature, the data will transform from thriving coral city dataset into the opposite - bleached dead coral city. Audience can immerse themselves in the art and experience the bleaching phenomenon that integrates art, sound design and technology. The interactive art turns into an exploration where audience can relate the role of coral reefs in the ecosystem and the threats these reefs are facing.
nature
AI Generated Art
Interactive Installation
theme
Climate Change
Participating artists
supporting organisations
Hong Kong Arts Festival Society
