A Piece of Systems Ecology
A personal capture of various natural aspects in Santa Barbara, California.

Data from a paper on global biodiversity data*. The systems that generate biodiversity data are complex, uneven, but after all - ultimately human.

*DOI:10.1126/science.adh8874


Stone covered in algae reveals a real mermaid if one has a tendency to see them.  Pareidolia is the tendency to perceive a specific, often meaningful image in a random or ambiguous visual pattern.

Water is essential to life and crucial for ecological processes. Creeks, in particular, are serene places to visit during a hot summer hike at noon.  Flower Hunting is a reoccurring topic in my work.

Stones and lichen provide essential microhabitats for various organisms and contribute to local biodiversity and soil formation.

Palm trees and agaves are iconic symbols of California. They are very present in the area and there are several species cultivated to make the many streets greener.

Human and animal traces are found everywhere. Live animals are hard to capture but especially at the beaches I did find some traces to capture.

A Piece of Systems Ecology
An Augmented Reality installation that rocks

The installation called “A Piece of Systems Ecology” is a personal exploration of the natural elements I encountered while strolling through Santa Barbara, enriched by conversations with NCEAS researchers Ben Halpern, Mona Farnisa, Justin Kadi, Marisa Morse, Erica Nielsen, Camila Poulsen Vargas and Melissa Chapman. 

The piece features an animated 3D sculpture created from scanned elements of the local landscape. Visitors might interact by using QR codes printed on stones collected from the area and discover connected stories. Additionally, the soundscape reflects fragments of the topics of the interviews.

Everything is connected. Take a closer look at things you normally ignore.

Tests of Augmented Reality stones at my studio in Vienna, Austria -->

Created at the Art+Science residency at NCEAS (National Center for Ecological Analysis and Synthesis)

© Science Visualization Lab of the University of Applied Arts Vienna, Austria