Interfacing with Nature
Even before the Internet of Things becomes reality, the Internet of Animals is already proclaimed. Big animal data is collected in real time, and people follow individual wolves, birds and sharks online. At the same time, nature moves physically into the urbanised areas of people.
Since the industrial revolution there has been a growing separation between nature and the human living environment. Now, with digital technologies, there are new possibilities and attempts to bridge these separations again and making contact.
Does this technological bridge imply a de-sensualisation when experiencing nature? How could such experiences look like? Can we still escape into a nature that has become transparent? And what would the animals get out of it?
In this class we look at the different forms of interaction between people and nature, at forms of plant communication, go on expeditions to explore forest and urban eco systems, set up electro-botanical experiments and make contact.
FH Potsdam / Design dept., spring term 2015
