Artificial Landscapes

Artificial Landscapes

Corneel Cannaerts

Fieldstation Studio, KU Leuven Faculty of Architecture, BE

4 Videos: 6'29", 3'23", 2'24", 2'11"

Keywords: Landscape, Terrain, Vision, Simulation.

The environments in which we operate as architects are increasingly saturated with digital technologies: internet-of-things, global communication and transportation technologies, mobile devices, increased satellite coverage, location based services, ubiquitous computing… This results in a technological layer spanning the globe which has been described as the technosphere, in addition to the geosphere, biosphere, hydrosphere and atmosphere. Emerging technologies impact how we see ourselves and understand our environment, they produce a constantly updating plethora of images, maps an representations of our world. The visual cultures these technologies give rise to are not just representing but actually producing the environment in which we operate, i.e. our world is increasingly experienced and made through digital media. Ladscapes, formerly associated with the natural, wild unknown territories to explore are increasingly produced, visualised and experienced through digital technologies.

The "Artitificial Landscapes" project explores the blurring between the natural and the artificial, resulting from the technosphere, the contemporary world that is increasingly saturated with digital technologies, running on data and computation. The videos are a result of an elective course introducing architecture students in programming as visual medium to engage notion of artificial landscapes: Landscapes of Exploitation models resource extraction through the interaction between terrains, agents and environmental simulations.

The Future Vision Online Exhibition was available from 11 February to 11 March 2021.

What you find here is a fleeting glimpse of the 21 works – or in better words, 21 future visions – coming from artists, designers, researchers, professionals, and students who explored complex questions from a critical and creative perspective.

We extend our warmest thanks to everyone who participated in the PCD21.

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