Mechanical trees, wool canopies: Investigating the intersection of art, nature and tech through localized empathetic ecosystem service design methodology
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School of Arts, Design and Architecture |
Master's thesis
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Date
2024-11-17
Department
Major/Subject
Design
Mcode
Degree programme
Master's Programme in Creative Sustainability
Language
en
Pages
88
Series
Abstract
Since 2018 when I learned of the likely collapse of the Amazonian ecosystem, I have been imagining a world where our continual lack of action in creating and exasperating the causes of climate change has led to a world where natural systems have been replaced with mechanical analogs, Mechanical Trees. The first Mechanical Trees existed as paintings and drawings and later became sculpture installations. Their designs mimicked different ecosystem services through industrial technologies (ex. pipes, boilers, wires, motors). For my thesis I conceived of a new version of a Mechanical Tree, one that appropriates natural materials as a means of responding to urban climate change issues, in this case wool. Here, wool’s properties related to heat and moisture management are the mechanical component serving as a “canopy”. The object is meant to confront us with the underwhelming reality of a technological analog for (nature) a tree, so as to question our assumption and belief in technology as something that can fix climate change regardless of our actions. My re-search focused on ecosystem services, climate technologies, wool, and the role of values in shaping our response to climate change. I also explore Ecosystem Service Design Methodology in connection to ecosystem technological pathways of mitigation, adaptation and geoengineering arguing that the scale of implementation (local, regional, global) and empathy are an important factor in informing our choices and why they should be included in the methodology.Description
Supervisor
Botero Cabrera, AndreaThesis advisor
Gandier, Julie-AnneTaipale, Ulla
Keywords
ecosystem service design, wool, artistic research, more-than-human, empathy, technology, locality, adaptation, mitigation, geoengineering, nature