In the face of climate change and the dawn of the Anthropocene, we
as humans are constantly challenged to reflect on our impact over
our planet and to perceive the interconnections among the many
forms of life that inhabit it. Recently, ideas such as the concept
of hyperobject, defined by philosopher Timothy Morton as an entity
that is challenging to visualize due to its scale (whether too
large or too small, or both) have shed light on the need to
transcend the narrow human scale to counteract the climate crisis.
Macromicroscopio is an art installation project
that provokes us to readjust our gaze and expand it across
different temporal and spatial scales through data visualization.
Drawing from biodiversity data within the
Living Planet Index
database we visualize the population numbers of different species
that cohabit this planet over time, while simultaneously
displaying
NASA's surface
temperature anomaly data from 1950 to 2020.
Through the representation of entire populations of animal species
as animated points with random movements, we allude to the imagery
of petri dishes — symbols of the unseen small, now utilized to
visualize the vastness that eludes our immediate perception.
Concurrently, by visualizing the temperature data through the
color tonality of the image, we metaphorically portray an
environment under warming conditions where diverse life forms are
affected by human impact.
While the project invites viewers to expand their spatial scale
perception through the petri dish metaphor, the extended duration
of the animation encourages temporal scale dilation. We invite
spectators to immerse in the hypnotic motion, to observe the loss
in biodiversity over the years, and to ponder the potential
correlations between the many data points visualized.
Through this experience, we hope spectators may lose sight of the
gradual and subtle shifts in hue — the transformation from cool
blues to intense fiery reds that denote the slow-burning process
of climate change.
Thus, we employ data visualization, a critical technology for
diagnosing the climate crisis, not to communicate immediate
decision-making data but to challenge our perception of our place
on the planet, the impacts of our actions, and to suggest an
understanding of ecological entanglement among life forms.
Macromicroscopio aims to ignite a deepened
awareness of the interconnectedness of living creatures in our
ecosystem, to inspire reflection and promote a greater
understanding of the profound effects of our actions on the world
around us and the role data visualization may play in this
scenario.
