Photo collage
Philosophical Frame
Following Baudrillard’s “utopia as simulation,” the exhibition treats data and images not as neutral representations but as operative models. By translating plankton footage, microscopy archives, and ocean datasets into aesthetic form, Data Materialism constructs a persuasive simulation of ecological reality—one that reveals how our models and codes now co-produce what we perceive as “nature.” If utopia once lay ahead, today it is already embedded in our simulations, inviting both critique and responsibility.
Exhibition Form (Minimal Presentation)
Conceived as a minimal artist’s cabinet, the exhibition combines:
• Video works: single- and dual-channel loops drawn from Oceanaia and new plankton microscopies (no interactive installation), emphasizing behavioral dynamics and environmental shifts.
• Photographic works / 3D photocollages: prints derived from Oulu Biocenter datasets, articulating microstructures as landscapes.
• Process documents: data maps, microscope workflows, lab notes, Copernicus visualizations—showing how measurement becomes image and, ultimately, world-building.
Why It Matters
Plankton anchor the marine food web; their destabilization reverberates across species and human societies. By merging scientific collaboration with artistic construction, Data Materialism asks: How far should we intervene to “improve” ecosystems? What is the cost of utopia? And can a scientifically grounded simulation help us rethink survival, reciprocity, and care in a damaged sea?