[uncertain tides]
6 March 2025
interactive installation, color, sound, be, 2024

Uncertain Tides is an art installation that explores the complexity of climate change through uncertainty, speculation, and scientific research. in the first room, a control center, visitors can activate six scenarios simulating CO₂ increases and their impact on the North Sea. the higher the increase, the more uncertain the future and the harder it becomes to take appropriate action. the installation highlights that, just as in reality, we still have influence over our future. the visuals in the installation are sourced from three types of archives: the artist’s archive, public archives, and scientific archives such as those of the Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ). the second room offers an immersive experience of rising sea temperatures disrupting marine ecosystems. studio.POC visualized microscopic plankton, creating a world that reflects the ocean’s biodiversity. as the water warms, the environment becomes increasingly abstract and uncertain, mirroring the unpredictability of climate projections.

commissioned by the Flanders Marine Institute, studio.POC developed a speculative model based on scientific datasets, supported by generative AI. using 8 million plankton images from the Flanders Marine Institute database, new visuals were generated, pushing beyond traditional climate models. integrating AI into the installation not only highlights the role of speculation in our approach to the future but also underscores the ongoing evolution of technologies that help us understand and respond to these complex issues. the installation Uncertain Tides aims to make the invisible visible, to predict the unpredictable.

credits
concept & video: Jeroen Cluckers
graphic design: Annelise Cerchedean
sound design: Charo Calvo
technical advice / implementation: Tobias Hartmann, Max Schweder
technical lead: Lowie Spriet
concept & coordination: Kristof Timmerman

a production by studio.POC. with the support of the Immersive Lab of AP University of Applied Sciences and Arts Antwerp (BE). commissioned by Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), Oostende (BE)

read more about it on VRT NWS (only in Dutch).

previously on display
2024
Dag van de Wetenschap, Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), Oostende (BE)
ZEEKERWETEN, Flanders Marine Institute (VLIZ), Oostende (BE)

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