The thing about glaciers is that they are completely different from us. Although we’re able to consider them and have an awareness of them, it is difficult to conceive how we can relate to them.
They exist on a completely different scale from humans, both in terms of size and time. But they have had, and continue to have, a tremendous impact on human life. They are the potent entities that have sculpted the land we live on and now they are in the spotlight because they are gradually leaving us – both shrinking and retreating so they are becoming smaller and further away. Conceptually, I am exploring the possible ins and outs of how we (humans) and glaciers might communicate,
considering both explicit acts such as talking and listening, and more implicit ways of relating such as “body” language and non-verbal communication. I am attempting to approach these studies from both the human and glacier perspectives. Practically and technically, I am building prototypes that explore how to best listen and speak- from physical constructions to electronic sensing systems to see what data and which transmission methods can provide the best understanding.
Kate Hartman
Banff New Media Institute
2009
Special Thanks to:
Rob Faludi and Kati London (Botanicalls)
Angus Leech (The ART Mobile Lab at the Banff New Media Institute, The Banff Centre)
