Timo Aho
Timo Aho (b.1980 Finland) is a Helsinki-
based artist who works with landscape and our surroundings. His artistic inspiration stems
from our culture which is constantly changing by technological developments and fluctuating complex institutional structures. Aho explores environment and sustainability with means of installation, intervention, sculpture and painting. Modern low technology and lights are materials he often uses in a sculptural way.
Chosen Works
// Lines (57° 59 'N, 7° 16 'W)
//Lines (57° 59 'N, 7° 16 'W) is a collaboration project with Pekka Niittyvirta (b. 1974, Finland)
//An interactive site-specific light installation located at Taigh Chearsabhagh Arts Centre in North Uist, The Outer Hebrides, UK
//2018
Aho and Niittyvirta wrapped some barns and historic buildings with LED lights as well as installing LED beams into the landscape to mark future high tide. The artwork is interactive. “By use of sensors, the installation interacts with the rising tidal changes; activating on high tide. The work provides a visual reference of future sea level rise. The effect is quite chilling.’’ Niittyvirta describes the project.
The artwork is located in the archipelago off the west coast of Scotland. The installation
is built on the property of Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum & Arts Centre in Lochmaddy, which cannot expand due to estimated storm surge sea levels. In addition, the project can be executed in
alternative coordinates. The project is specific for the location, but visualizing something certainly global. Aho and Niittyvirta are discussing the possibility to collaborate in another location to create a series from Lines.
Aho and Niittyvirta decided to use
beams of LED lights, which are referring to a contemporary consumer society. Besides, placing the artificial light in to a rather rural area criticises the human impact on climate change. Artists used the data on factual surge heights to estimate a level where the high tide could be in a century.
A connection and co-existence between contemporary society, development and nature inspired Aho and Niittyvirta to approach an urgent problem with the means of art. In this way, they try to make something abstract and debated visible somehow. Artists state: ‘’It’s a hypothetical that’s not unrealistic.’’
Scientific background
global sea level rise and modeling
Aho and Niittyvirta drew attention to tidal changes and decided to investigate the theme with interactive artwork. Consequently, they needed
to familiarize themselves with technology and different models to predict and estimate various scenarios. One of the main methods to research future tidal changes is building mathematical models based on the data collected from the past. These simulations are run by computers and tested with various variables to ensure that the results are not biased.
During the 20th century the average sea- level rise rate was 1.7 mm/yr. This is remarkably lower compared to the rate of 3.3 mm/yr during the period from 1993 to 2016. Some estimations for the next century vary from 1 m to 3 m depending on the place in a scenario, where ice from both Greenland and Antarctica glaciers melt (fig.1). (Pickering et al. 2017)
The sea level rise is an urgent matter,
but we have to take into consideration also the tectonic uplift in the areas where land is still rising annually. During the last ice age the land on the peninsula of Scandinavia and Finland was pressed under the thick sheet of ice. Hence, the land still rises in these areas, where the annual uplift is greatest in the Gulf of Bothnia (fig.2). The annual uplift varies from 1 mm/yr to 1 cm/yr. For instance, in Bergen the land rises only 1.1 mm/yr. (fig.3)(Grønnestad. 2014.)
Tidal changes equally affect the ecosystems on the shorelines. World oceans are annually absorbing more than 25% of anthropogenic emissions. This is lowering the pH of the water. The carbon dioxide travels through the ocean in different means. The acidification impacts the marine environment as its species and ecosystems are endangered as the sea level rises to their habitat. This is why modeling and predictions produces relevant information for society. (Villas Boas, et al. 2019.; C. Sabine et al., 2004)
However, building mathematical models can be highly demanding. The circumstances are ever-changing. Morphological changes, dreading, harbour creation, topography and specific locations with anthropogenic factors creates fluctuating baselines. The models need to include also recent data and measurements, so that the changing baseline is taken into consideration. Researching and measurement tools to measure current data are also vital. (Pickering et al. 2017.) A well-designed model uses multiple
parametres revised constantly. Hence, the input provided to the model produces improved forecasts and predictions. Some methods to gather this information are: in situ measurements, satellite images and using microwave radiometers and scatterometers. ‘’Scatterometers are active sensors that measure the fraction of energy from the radar pulse reflected back to the satellite,
also known as backscatter. The backscatter is a function of the sea surface roughness, which is, in turn, a function of the wind speed and direction.’’ (Villas Boas, et al. 2019)
There are numerous initiatives and satellite programmes analyzing the sea from
aerial perspective, European Union’s Copernicus- programme and NASA’s SEASTAR, to mention but a few. The connection between air and sea as well as climate aspect provides information also from the changes in the water. Satellite images are utilized to observe the two-dimensional surface to understand vertical structure of the upper ocean.
From the aerial perspective it is possible to gain information from interactions between air and surface layer of the water. The ultimate aim is to predict future climate and earth system models while developing parameterization of these processes. (https://www.copernicus.eu/; Villas Boas, et al. 2019.)
Observing the surface speed and sea winds there are interactive databases and
maps online, for example tidemap.com. The organization uses advanced GIS technology
to provide metocean data in real time (fig.4). (tidemap.com. 2019.) However, there has to be set, unbiased criteria to evaluate the results and predictions. Data might be insufficient or not cohesive with other variables. The outcomes need to be cross-validated with other results. Reflecting the result to in situ ocean measurements and observations is necessary. (Villas Boas, et al. 2019.)
Methods
With my method testing I wanted to play with
the idea of contrasting or lighting up something natural with artificial light. Also in Lines, Aho and Niittyvirta used artificial light in natural and man-made context. Changing the scale from a landscape installation to details allowed me to test multiple locations and use light in different ways. I took some photographs of some places where the current tides are visible as well. With the testing I wanted to explore the co-existence of nature and a human being.
The piece I chose to be my final ‘’Landing 2’’ is
a photograph of a jar filled with seaweed and lighten up from below with LED lights. The result is almost like a preserved piece of fragile nature in a future laboratory. The artwork is fairly simple, but I equally found the simplicity in Aho and Niittyvirta’s work fascinating and impactful. By focusing on just a few elements it is possible to create something powerful.
Keywords
1 : existing together or at the same time
2 : living in peace with each other especially as a matter of policy
an act or instance of fluctuating : an irregular shifting back and forth or up and down in the level, strength, or value of something
References and links
Grønnestad, K. S. (2014). Several Reasons Why the Sea Is Rising. <https://www.barentswatch.no/en/articles/Sea-levels/>, retrieved in 28.8.2019
Pickering, M.D., Horsburgh, K.J., Blundell, J.R. et al. (2017). The impact of future sea-level rise on the global tides. In Continental Shelf Research Volume 142, 15 June 2017, Pages 50-68. <https://www.sciencedirect. com/science/article/pii/S0278434316304824> : retrieved 26.8.2019
Sabine, C. L., Feely, R. A., Gruber, N., et al. (2004). The oceanic sink for anthropogenic CO2. <https://courses.seas.harvard.edu/climate/ seminars/pdfs/Sabine_etal_2004.pdf> retrieved in 29.8.2019
Villas Boas, A.B.,Ardhuin, A., Ayet A., et al. (2019). Integrated Observations of Global Winds, Currents, and Waves: Requirements and Challenges for the Next Decade. <https://www.frontiersin.org/ articles/10.3389/fmars.2019.00425/full> retrieved in 26.8.2019
<https://www.copernicus.eu/en>
<https://www.nasa.gov/audience/foreducators/robotics/imagegallery/r_ seawifs.jpg.html>
<https://www.noc.ac.uk/publications/2019> <https://www.tidetech.org/>