City in Aether, 2023

Dimensions Variable

GPS Data

Future cities will be fast-paced and in constant flux. Cities are not just physical spaces, but a reflection of our collective culture and values. As the cities around us expand at unprecedented rates, how often do we pause, observe and reflect on the change that is constantly happening? We take the development of our urban landscape for granted even through, knowingly or unknowingly, we co-create what becomes of these spaces. From the patronage of places we frequent, to the feedback in unassuming surveys and the data collected and harvested from our devices. All these are contributing factors shape our future.

City in Aether is an abstract, cocreated interpretation of an ever-growing cityscape that is unpolished and in constant development. The work is not just a static object, but a living, breathing representation of the ever-evolving nature of cities and our experiences within them. Each “building” parametrically generated from personally collected and/or voluntarily contributed data (i.e. location, sound, light, etc.). As the data is collected by the participant(s), it also gives them an opportunity to reflect on the significance of where and what data is collected in the hope that they may develop a greater sensitivity to their surroundings.

City of Light aims to challenge our perceptions of what a city can be through collective lived interaction with our current built environments, sparking conversations about the role of technology and urban planning as we collectively shape our future cities.