The exhibition’s title, FEEDBACK, refers to the self-correcting mechanisms by which systems—in this case, ecological—respond to the influence they exert on their environments. The works on display echoed this recursive dynamic, from Rebecca Bray and Britta Riley’s DrinkPeeDrinkDrinkPee sewage processing organ, to Natalie Jeremijenko’s tadpole-dispensing prescription from the walk-in Environmental Health Clinic for the ecologically unwell. In direct response to the world’s loss of crop biodiversity Leah Gauthier’s Sow-In engaged the public, in partnership with local community gardening groups, to sow the seeds of those food plants most in danger of extinction.
"The Queensboro Bridge is a beautiful artifact of the industrial age and this project represents the transition that can and must be made from the industrial age, dependent on fossil fuels, to an industrial era that lives off of solar income...wind is solar energy too, and all sustainability is about getting the income to expense ratio on solar income to something that can be sustained by living systems." - Paul Hawken, author of Natural Capitalism in response to The Queensbridge Wind Power Project video The Queensbridge Wind Power Project presents a vision of a future when meeting energy production needs can actually enhance the beauty of a city. Queens generates half of New York City's energy, and the power plants in Queens are affecting the environment. The project investigates how clean, renewable wind power might be integrated into the landmark architecture of the Queensboro Bridge.
What is the Eco-Vis Challenge? Not only is there an environmental crisis, but an environmental data crisis. Viewing statistics on environmental change is usually overwhelming, unintelligible, hidden and dense. Eyebeam invited artists to collaborate with technologists to redefine what the future of tracking and visualizing the environment could be.
Eyebeam hosted a public critique for the Eco-Vis Challenge submissions as part of the Upgrade! series of public programming.
A distinguished panel of New York-based artists and designers discussed what role an art and technology center can play in raising public awareness on environmental issues, and how visualizing environmental data can address the crisis. The guest critics not only dicussed their criteria for a useful, engaging, and successful visualization project, but were available to give in-depth feedback to the Eco-Vis Challenge participants. Panelists included: Michael Mandiberg, Natalie Jeremijemko, Zach Lieberman, and Upgrade! member Mushon Zer-Aviv.
