The Swamp Observatory

Swamp Observatory AR App

The Swamp Observatory blends scientific understanding and artistic creativity to explore the swamp as a complex biosphere and repository of diverse cultural, historical, and cybernetic elements.

The proposed AR app, developed in collaboration with students and teachers at the Athene School on Gotland Island in the Baltic Sea, aims to aid in the restoration of swamps. During art and music classes, participants contributed to creating eco-monsters that will inhabit planned stormwater ponds in Northern Visborg.

This hybrid reality project introduces a novel approach to art in public spaces, engaging communities sensorially and fostering their connection with the environment even before the planning process is completed. With the assistance of The Swamp Observatory, the future habitats of the Visborg wetland will be visualized ahead of landscaping, promoting environmental citizenship among local stakeholders and users.

Role: Digital sculptor
3D Modeler

Credits:Design: Nomeda & Gediminas Urbonas (Urbonas Studio) Collaboration: Atheneskolan Gotland, Indrė Umbrasaitė, Kristupas Sabolius, Mouse on Mars, Terry T Kang and Thomas Harriett
Commission: the Public Art Agency Sweden and the Baltic Art Center 
Support: Lithuanian Council for Culture and MIT Center for Art, Science & Technology
Powered by: Hoverlay 
Photograph: Urbonas Studio

In total, twenty-six eco-monsters beckon people to interact with Nonhuman Intelligence and collaborate in forming Assemblies for future coexistence and the establishment of Commons. They are accessible via QR codes, allowing for exploratory encounters within the surroundings of the future swamp, the former regimental site in Visborg, and beyond, offering immersive experiences elsewhere in the world.

This interactive game encourages us to immerse ourselves in the symbiotic connections emerging within the sentient swamp. The swamp serves as an ideal environment to perceive the delicate interrelationships between organisms and their surroundings. In this ecosystem, every member of the community influences each other's environment and is essential for the collective survival. The game prompts a shift in perspective, enabling players to embody various swamp-dwelling creatures such as plants, insects, birds, amphibians, fungi, bacteria, or algae. Through this experience, participants uncover the fundamental principle of Cannibal Metaphysics: to understand another being, one must first be consumed by it.

Role:Digital sculptor
3D Modeler
Studio Assistance

Credits:Produced in cooperation with the ZKM | Center for Art and Media Karlsruhe and MIT Climate Visions

Concept: Nomeda & Gediminas Urbonas in collaboration with Nikola Bojić, Kristupas Sabolius, and Indrė Umbrasaitė (MIT Climate Visions)

Development & User Experience: ungroup.group and Siamend Darwesh

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