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Ocean Connections Catalogue Essay

Installation view of Ocean Connections
Installation view of Ocean Connections 

Abstract:

In visual representations, oceans are often shown as blue, empty fields or voids. Ocean Connections aims to instil these unseen spaces with stories and movement, to discover a kinship to life in the oceans. 

The project investigates processes within ecosystems which are influenced by ocean flows. Whilst focusing specifically on the Oslofjord environment in Norway, the title Ocean Connections points to interconnectedness of all oceans. We cannot really tell where the Oslofjord ends, as it runs into Skagerrak and joins the North Sea which then flows into the Atlantic Ocean. Employing a combined means of storytelling, the work aims for an immersive, circular experience of biodiversity and ecological connections on a global scale. 

The resulting artwork is a two-channel video installation, formulated and constructed from an experimental scientific and artistic dialogue and mode of collaboration, combining mathematical modelling, scientific data about ocean movements and ecological conditions, and artistic storytelling through animation and visuality.

2 channel video installation with sound, 4K resolution, 05:45 min

Full essay coming soon!! 

Credits:

Kristin Bergaust | Guillermo García-Sánchez & Evangelos Voukouvalas 

With the generous support of the European Commission's department on Maritime Affairs and Fisheries.

Related links:

Kristin Bergaust

Kristin Bergaust is an artist, researcher and professor at the Faculty of Technology, Art and Design in OsloMet. She is educated at the National Academy of Fine Art in Oslo and Oslo University. Kristin is known as an early Norwegian pioneer in media arts with a social perspective, active in many artists’ initiatives and organizations. She works with video, animation, digital imagery, sound and installation. She also curates exhibitions, screening programs and presentations and writes and edits related texts. Currently, she initiates transdisciplinary efforts to ecological and transcultural processes in urban contexts through artistic research and technological developments. Most importantly, she developed Oslofjord Ecologies as an artistic research project since 2015 and leads the transdisciplinary artistic research project FeLT-Futures of Living Technologies. Her interests are invested in contemporary art and artistic work methods to contribute to and critique societal developments and possible ideas of shared futures.

Website

Instagram: @kristinbergaust

Guillermo Garcia Sanchez

Guillermo García-Sánchez is a Scientist at the Spanish National Research Council (CSIC) at the Instituto de Ciencias Matemáticas (ICMAT) in the Applied Mathematics department, where he works for the Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Group. His work addresses the development of novel dynamical systems tools and computational techniques for providing new insights into geophysical flows and met/ ocean modelling. Currently, He is working on the real-time application of these ideas to address critical environ- mental challenges like marine litter pollution and oil spills. He is also co-founder of the startup Digital Earth Solutions, which aims to keep clean the oceans through mathematical modelisation.

Website

Twitter: @GGSGuillermo

Evangelos Voukouvalas

Evangelos Voukouvalas is a professional environmental engineer, specialising in the fields of hydraulic engineering and coastal engineering with over 20 years of professional experience. He has participated in multiple research studies and engineering consultancy projects related to hydro-morphodynamic changes triggered by offshore met-ocean conditions, as well as their current and future impact and related risks to local and global coastal environments. Throughout his academic and professional journey, he has developed a strong foundation in understanding the risks to the natural environment, through field surveys, laboratory experiments and state-of-the art numerical models for the coastal zone. His professional experience has given him the background to understand the interplay between the complex interactions between physical processes and human systems, and also enabled him to communicate his research interests effectively to a broad range of audiences, including civilians, researchers and governmental organisations.