Art provides the opportunity to explore international possibilities, cultures, and experiences. Since 2015, I’ve visited China numerous times thanks to art. In fact, it was “alternative” artworks deemed different or controversial that opened new possibilities. Boundaries and walls must be permeable and porous allowing for growth and adapting to new environments. No fear in moving forward if it is truthful.
Distance, time, and language no longer provide a barrier to human connectivity. While traveling on long flights, access to the Internet was possible. This is a modern marvel and incredible achievement allowing humanity to communicate globally immediately. My inner geek wanted to investigate and research how, where, and why this is possible. The power of information access is commonly associated as an abstract concept that appears out of thin air. In a modern world, convenience is taken for granted. However, its structure is heavy, cumbersome, and expensive.
At the bottom of Earth’s oceans floors, an overwhelming and extensive network of fiber optic cables hugs its surface. From Business Insider Science: “The first transatlantic cable was laid in the 1850s to send telegraphs between Newfoundland and Ireland. There are now over 300 undersea cables stretching 550,000 miles. That’s enough to circle the Earth 22 times. They transmit 99% of all international data.”
Inspired by a world that is invisible and hidden, the OPTIC series was born. How does information stretch and contort through the deepest parts of the ocean and society? Raw abstract data bypasses language.
OPTIC:
Information doesn’t come from above; it arrives from below. Like an umbilical cord, the Internet transmits a technical world into a natural one and back. Data becomes perceived and deflected from one source to another just like art. Download that.
The links:
http://mentalfloss.com/article/60150/10-facts-about-internets-undersea-cables
http://www.submarinecablemap.com
http://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sound.html
Balisle Blog 
One thought on “OPTIC”
Comments are closed.