THE DAY THE EARTH CAUGHT DATA  (E2)
2024

The Day the Earth Caught Data unfolds in a series of several episodes that attempt to create fictional narratives using found online material from different locations. The episodes draw parallels between a widely shared, seemingly uncomplicated reality and a troublesome fiction where the image-makers become storytellers of their own unsettling future. Constant surveillance practices on Earth’s surface necessitate AI technologies to facilitate the frequent use of mapping apps and the incessant sharing of locations along with self-referential content. These procedures require huge amount of data which contributes significantly in the digital footprint.  
The title is a reference to post-apocalyptic film “The Day the Earth Caught Fire” (1961) and each episode suggests a dystopia, an aftermath of the intense human presence and the constant use of digital media that accompanies it, wondering if the end of the world will come from our own visual representations.

     

Episode 2 of The Day the Earth  Caught Data was an interactive installation involving audience participation using primarily online material shared by different users through Google Street View Photosphere. 

The research is focused on Santorini, one of the most popular destinations in the world which has ended up facing serious environmental and sustainability problems. Its volcano, a separate piece of land surrounded by sea, receives a considerate portion of the island’s visitors on day tours. The use of the satellite images generated by Google Earth along with screenshots taken from the online photos shared by the visitors in Google Earth’ Photosphere, (view slide show) construct a different, more dystopian narrative. The volcanic landscape resembles that of another planet, or that of a doomsday movie setting, where the individuals strolling around look lost, exhausted and disoriented amidst the barren, uninviting surroundings.

The audience was encouraged to participate, when standing infront of the backdrop, by taking their own photos of the real-time projection and share them online.