Andrea Polli: Particle Fallz
curated by Darko Frtiz for the Connecting Cities Network, In/Visible City
Museum of Contemprorary Art media facade . Zagreb
1 - 20 Dec 2015
http://www.msu.hr/#/en/20780/ <http://www.msu.hr/#/en/20780/>
Particle Fallz is a real-time visualization of air-quality data.
Particle Fallz is a dramatic public work that highlights particulate pollution,
raising awareness of its presence and impact. The responses of Particle Falls
are often unexpected and chaotic, emphasizing the fragile and unstable nature
of our Earth's atmosphere and the human role in increasing instability through
anthropogenic climate change.
Three instruments called airbeams are installed outside the entrance of the
museum to take in air samples and analyze the amount of particulates in the
surrounding air. They generate data that is then converted to imagery and
animation by a custom computer program and sent to the media facade of the
museum, where it is visualized in in bursts of bright color over a constant
background of falling blue light. Increasing frequency and size of the spots of
color indicates a greater concentration of particles. The visualization updates
with new particulate data every 15 seconds.
Although air is invisible, it has a major impact on public health. According to
the European Environment Agency, atmospheric pollution of particulate matter
with a diameter less than 10 µm (PM10-PM2.5) is the most widespread problem in
Croatia. Despite the invisibility of air, modern sensors can detect tiny
particulate pollution levels in real time. Particulate matter (PM 2.5) is air
pollution caused primarily by emissions from automobiles, trucks and other
diesel and gas-burning vehicles.
The World Air Quality Index provides continuous online particulate pollution
data from stations in Zagreb and other cities in Croatia, you can access this
data here: http://aqicn.org/city/croatia/zagreb-1/
Particle Falls was originally produced for the City of San Jose California.
Partners working on the project have included meteorologist Tim Dye, artist
Chuck Varga, Ryan Romero and other students in Polli's research laboratory at
the University of New Mexico, The Social Media Workgroup. Thanks to MetOne
instruments for particulate monitoring equipment and calibration.
Social Media Workgroup members working on Particle Fallz:
Eric Geusz – Programming, design and technical assistance
Jared Rendon-Trompak - Technical assistance
Trenton Small – Programming assistance
Connecting Cities Network: http://www.connectingcities.net
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