a research series on tree ecosystems as live audio-video environments
'you are variations [vol. ...]' is a series of research projects on acustic and visual environments
built and fed by ecophysiological and metereological data.
In this series it becomes possible to observe and listen to environmental processes of diverse ecosystems.
We study the impact of climate change and management on forest ecosystems.
Focusing on ecosystems' resistance and resilience with respect to biotic and abiotic stressors and disturbances, the unit develops science-based knowledge to improve concepts for sustainable forest management in a changing environment to ensure the permanent availability of the large array of forest ecosystem goods and services.
A strength of the unit is the combination of multiple approaches along the method chain consisting of forest long-term monitoring, high-resolution field measurements, experiments and mechanistic modeling on various spatial and temporal scales, from the plant cell to landscapes and from seconds to centuries. This combined, multidisciplinary approach is the basis for an integrated indepth ecosystem analysis.
A particular research focus is the water cycle in trees and forest ecosystems affected by climate change. The effect of drought on various forest ecosystems is studied on 16 long-term forest ecosystem monitoring and experimental plots, in a model ecosystem facility consisting of 16 open-top lysimeter chambers, in a large scale irrigation experiment, several rain-out shelter experiments and field observational studies.
In 2011 Christina Della Giustina is artist in residence in the research unit.
Her artistic practice entails working at the lab’s 16 monitoring sites, gathering, structuring and transposing this data on a diagnostical, statistical as well as a real-time level.
Her focus is on water cycles and meteorology and the question of how to render dynamics particular to specific environments publicly accessible and perceivable. Focusing on the ecophysiological processes of trees, she transformes the long-term monitoring data sets from different drought-sensitive forests into sound scores for interactive light-/video-installations and live concerts. As a result the actual ecophysiological processes driven by climate change become locally sensible on-site.
As a catalyst this series of interactive installations and live events enable diverse urban, suburban, and alpine communities
to explore the complex interplay of shifting environmental cycles in this rapidly evolving arena of climate change on global, as much as on locale scale.
The lab CLIME AT CHANGE [working title], artistic think-tank within the Research Unit Forest Dynamics
of the Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, Birmensdorf, CH, consists of:
Dr. Andreas Rigling, Head Research Unit Forest Dynamics, Swiss Federal Research Institute, WSL
Dr. Marcus Schaub, Head Ecophysiology, Swiss Federal Research Institute, WSL
Dr. Matthias Dobbertin, Head Forest Growth and Climate, Swiss Federal Research Institute, WSL
Prof. Dr. Fritz Schweingruber, Emeritus, Dendroecology, Swiss Federal Research Institute, WSL
Christina Della Giustina, artist in residence at Swiss Federal Research Institute, WSL
research [books/performances]:
- Pinus sylvestris, 3 books [wood, paper, white gloves; ca. 40 x 40 x 8,5 cm]; December 2011
- Alnus glutinosa, Carpinus betulus, Acer pseudoplatanus, book [wood, paper, white gloves; 40 x 40 x 8,5 cm]; May 2011
installation views and performances in the frame of:
- 'libri di_versi', Venice, IT; June - August 2011
Portogruaro and Concordia Sagittaria, Venice, Italy
http://www.notturnidiversi.net
http://www.notturnidiversi.net/images2008/libridi_versi3/index.html
- 'KadS', Amsterdam, NL; Sept. - Oct. 2011
Schinkel-/Sloterkade, Amsterdam, Netherlands
http://kads.nl
http://kads.nl/corp/index.php?itemid=7770&page=514&site=40&ln=nl
- 'off label', Victoria, CA; Oct. - Nov. 2011
digital artweeks: off label, emotional landscaping, Oct. 24 - Nov. 02 2011, Gallery Victoria, Victoria, CA
http://www.digitalartweeks.ethz.ch
- 'you are variations', WSL, Birmensdorf, CH; December 2011
- 'conversation pieces', Academy Gallery, Utrecht, NL; January - February 2012
research [audio video / installation views]:
- you are variations [cat+ 02], can I ask you a question?, audio-video documentation, WSL, Birmensdorf, CH; August 2011
- you are variations [version 01], audio documentation, WSL, Birmensdorf, CH; December 2011
- you are variations [version 01], audio-video documentation, WSL, Birmensdorf, CH; December 2011
- you are variations [version 01], live concert [audio documentation], WSL, Birmensdorf, CH; December 2011
- you are variations [cat+ 02], can I ask you a question?, installation views, WSL, Birmensdorf, CH; May 2011
- you are variations [version 01], installation views, WSL, Birmensdorf, CH; December 2011
- you are variations [version 01], Academy Gallery, Utrecht, NL; January - February 2012