Loops for Stagnation
In a current age of information overload, climate fatalism, and presence of personal barriers preventing our political engagement, effective climate communication becomes challenging.
Regarding climate change, mainstream media operate around the linear pathway of communication which assumes that information provision leads to deeper understanding of the issue, eventually turning into concern and finally action. But this pathway of communication seems ineffective when it comes to climate communication.
There are a number of factors that this communication pathway does not consider such as the framing of the issue, personal barriers, psychological, cultural and other social limitations. Alongside that, some features of climate change such as invisible causes, geographically and temporarily distant impacts and delayed gratification for taking action make climate communication tricky. But let’s step away from the doom and gloom for a second and let’s look at what can be changed about it.
To combat often problematic portrayal of the climate change in the media, a growing scholarly body turned to find solutions in creative and experimental practices to better convey the complexity of the problem and look for ways to make climate communication more meaningful.
Loops for Stagnation responds to the realisation that grasping knowledge on a solely intellectual level may not be sufficient motivator for taking meaningful action. Instead, the project offers a sensory experience which allows us to learn about how the climate operates, without evoking a sense of hopelessness, doom, or pressure often put onto individuals to immediately take climate and sustainable actions.
How does the Loop work?
The Loop has been programmed in a visual programming software called Touchdesigner to react to movement detected by motion sensor positioned in front of the screen. I wanted to build something abstract that does not explicitly link to climate change, but rather offers a visceral learning experience which then leads us to reflect a bit more about the issue.
You can visit the installation in the Pyramid Theatre on 29th March 12:00-17:00 and 30th March 12:00-16:00. There’s a lot of seating spaces in the Theatre, so if you wish to come and just observe, rather than interact with the artwork, you are very welcomed to.
During these two days I will be conducting semi – formal interviews with those who come to see the Loop. I want to treat this research as a space for University community to share their suggestions and thoughts on how we should talk about climate.
Reducing the environmental impact of the project
The project is centred around digital technologies which inevitably consume large amounts of energy. Keeping that in mind, I wanted to make sure I can reduce the environmental impact of the artwork in areas in my scope. Hence, I have accommodated the project to work with all the available equipment in the School of Media and Communication to avoid buying new tech. Instead of printing lots of leaflets explaining the project, I made use of QR codes which take you back to a website. The installation to be the most effective requires a total blackout of the space, which additionally saves some energy. These are some of the simple things I have considered, which didn’t not take any extra effort, but will make a big difference.