Envisioning Ecology


Those seeking to motivate a wide public to take ecological threats seriously--let alone change dangerous consumption habits--have historically faced all kinds of resistance, not the least of which is a general disinterest in the bland statistics of scientific data. Even if the facts and figures stack up to a catastrophic outcome, pie charts usually are not enough to channel the average attention span. The renowned New York electronic media atelier Eyebeam, however, is about to enlist designers and artists to come up with more compelling visual arguments to facilitate social change in the face of ecological deterioration. On September 15th, Eyebeam will present a panel at Brooklyn's Luna Lounge, where artists, designers, and creative technologists will discuss strategies for effectively conveying environmental data. Groups attending the event will also be invited to register for Eyebeam's Ecovisualization Challenge, a two-month-long design competition focusing on motivating ecological action through information graphics. Winners will be announced at a forthcoming show at Eyebeam. Part of the 2007 Conflux festival, the event will be followed by Rhizome's own panel on sousveillance.