Expanded-Cinema Kurzfilmtage Winterthur

oxyd, Winterthur, Switzerland
Curator: Eve Hübscher & Lorenz Hubacher
Artists: Ursula Biemann, Johann Baron Lanteigne, Marc Lee
https://www.kurzfilmtage.ch

oxyd Winterthur

«Used to Be My Home Too» is a real-time cartographic experiment that reflects our rich biodiversity and the continuous extinction of various species. Marc Lee's work shows photos of plants, fungi and animals that users of iNaturalist.org upload in real time via their mobile phones. iNaturalist is a social network based on the approach of a citizen science project. Scientific data is collected by a broad group of people who do not work full-time in the relevant field. In the case of iNaturalist, this involves documenting the biodiversity of our planet. Using programme interfaces (API), the uploaded images are mapped on Google Earth at the exact location where they were photographed. At the same time, a taxonomic comparison is made on the RedList.org website with species that have become extinct or are critically endangered within the last 30 years.
The time intervals between the alternating images are short, lasting just 6 seconds, and the rapid pace conveys a sense of the drastic decline in our biodiversity. Marc Lee's work also raises questions about the increasing homogenization of our planet. In its 2019 global report, the Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services (IPBES) estimated that around one million animal and plant species are threatened with extinction. This loss would have far-reaching implications for the stability of our ecosystem. Despite international efforts to slow biodiversity loss and promote the conservation and sustainable use of biodiversity, a joint effort is required at global, national and local level. The aim is to effectively stem the loss of biodiversity and take account of the delicate and sophisticated system of our planet.
«Used to Be My Home Too» can also be used on your own computer. The installation instructions can be found on the artist's website.
Text: Eve Hübscher & Lorenz Hubacher

Exhibited Artwork

Used to Be My Home Too

Real-time cartography

This experiment shows photos of animals, fungi and plants that are uploaded right now by unknown users to iNaturalist.org via mobile phone. On Google Earth, these are mapped at the exact location where they were photographed. In addition, taxonomically similar species that occurred in the same country and became extinct within the last 30 years are automatically added in real time via RedList.org. Used more …

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