Flight explores the notion of “air” through both poetic and practical views. The custom data-driven application animates a vision of what populates the proximate airspace using data at real-time and averaged time scales. Airplanes and satellites on schedules, up-to-the-minute weather and air pollution conditions, current highway traffic, voluntarily reported bird sightings, less credible but nonetheless “real” databases for UFOs, year-end birth and death data, and the inclusion of extant but undocumented bats and less desirable birds such as pigeons and starlings compose the world of Flight. A second layer of text information appears periodically that displays snippets of the current local news, in which the words “air” and “flight” are central.
Flight will be projected on the west facade of the Hyatt Regency by Mall of America® from 5 pm to midnight, beginning Monday, January 29.
Marina Zurkow and Paul Paradiso worked on Flight using data, animation, and custom software, to realize difficult environmental intersections. Zurkow has worked on Anthropocene problems since 2006, using a wide variety of media; Paradiso is an interactive and multi-media software developer and technology designer. He specializes in interactive software and hardware, content and data management and control systems for exhibitions.
Flight is part of Illuminate South Loop, a three-day event at Bloomington Central Park (8100 33rd Avenue South) in Bloomington’s South Loop District from February 1 – 3, 2018. This creative placemaking initiative focuses on leveraging the power of the arts, culture and creativity to engage the community.