Waterline 2024
LED screens, looped video, Steel frame
Waterline confronts the dual crises of ecological
devastation and technological dependence. This installation features a video
wall with two contrasting sides: one side displays a CGI simulation of water
filling a room, while the other shows a representation of a dense forest,
gradually revealing the destruction caused by the Balbina Dam, which flooded
thousands of hectares of pristine Amazon Rainforest.
The rising water in the simulated room parallels the escalating threats of climate change, where rising sea levels mirror the unchecked exploitation of natural resources. The simulation's controlled, sterile environment contrasts sharply with the chaos of real-world destruction on the other side of the wall. The Balbina Dam—an emblem of human engineering—led to the flooding of vast tracts of rainforest, wiping out ecosystems, displacing the indigenous Waimiri-Atroari people, wildlife, and releasing massive amounts of greenhouse gases from decaying vegetation.
This work critiques the role of technology in the climate crisis, asking whether our reliance on digital simulations and predictions distances us from the true impacts of environmental collapse. As the virtual water rises, it questions whether we can truly grasp the urgency of climate action through screens and simulations, while hectares of invaluable rainforest are lost in the real world.
Through Waterline, I seek to provoke reflection on the paradox of technological progress and environmental destruction, urging viewers to confront the reality that while we immerse ourselves in virtual worlds, the natural world is drowning. The piece challenges us to reconsider the effectiveness of our tools in addressing a crisis that cannot be contained within the digital realm.
The rising water in the simulated room parallels the escalating threats of climate change, where rising sea levels mirror the unchecked exploitation of natural resources. The simulation's controlled, sterile environment contrasts sharply with the chaos of real-world destruction on the other side of the wall. The Balbina Dam—an emblem of human engineering—led to the flooding of vast tracts of rainforest, wiping out ecosystems, displacing the indigenous Waimiri-Atroari people, wildlife, and releasing massive amounts of greenhouse gases from decaying vegetation.
This work critiques the role of technology in the climate crisis, asking whether our reliance on digital simulations and predictions distances us from the true impacts of environmental collapse. As the virtual water rises, it questions whether we can truly grasp the urgency of climate action through screens and simulations, while hectares of invaluable rainforest are lost in the real world.
Through Waterline, I seek to provoke reflection on the paradox of technological progress and environmental destruction, urging viewers to confront the reality that while we immerse ourselves in virtual worlds, the natural world is drowning. The piece challenges us to reconsider the effectiveness of our tools in addressing a crisis that cannot be contained within the digital realm.