Illuminating Landscapes

Changing landscapes

Landscape conditions are constantly changing. The way the landscape is arranged is not resistant to changes in the climate pattern. The natural and human system will experience the effects and this must be anticipated. In addition, different opinions can increase polarization and inequality in the Netherlands. It is therefore necessary to transform these systems. Climate change is happening faster than previously thought. No one can deny that last summer was dominated by the severe weather exacerbated by climate change, with forest fires, severe weather, floods, flooding and drought dominating the news. The idea is that the Netherlands is going to have the same Mediterranean climate as Italy, for example, this is incorrect. The soil and water system cannot be compared to those of other countries. What does the landscape have to offer us in terms of opportunities and challenges in relation to climate change? Why are these climate effects present in a particular location? How can we transform to a shared vision of the future?

Understanding each other's languages

Citizens, farmers, entrepreneurs, civil servants, aldermen, researchers and policy makers all deal with the landscape and have each developed their own language for it. These languages are often far apart, making it difficult to communicate efficiently. The technical language of a researcher, for example, differs enormously from the poetic language of the citizen and the actual situation. The landscape is often perceived as a complex system. The landscape twists, cracks and bubbles up wherever it is given space. A climate coaster simplifies this complex system and makes the opportunities and challenges related to climate understandable. The climate overlay forms the basis for the installation, allowing everyone to gain insight into the area. Illuminating landscapes connects the different languages of the past, present and future. Commissioned by the Municipality of Maashorst, a cut-out of an area with diverse landscape and cultural phenomena was chosen. The area is characterized by the fracture system, which causes different contrasts between high, low, wet and dry.

Interweaving

Discover the new language of landscape and experience the first "Illuminating Landscapes." The installation weaves together a carpet, lighting and Augmented Reality. The circular landscape carpet visualizes the area in a tangible way. It is already in the name of the project: the landscape is literally put in a different light, interweaving different languages. By combining an everyday object like a carpet with LED lighting, it has become possible for us to show movements in the landscape at a glance. In the process, effects of climate change are made transparent. The wire heights in the carpet are based on the characteristics of the landscape. Colors in the installation show where it gets drier and wetter. By scanning the Qr code you enter the interactive Augmented Reality environment and discover how water flows through the landscape. Three landscape tiles show the unique workings of the horst, fractures and valley and valley. Illuminating landscapes weaves a new landscape language where the invisible is literally made visible.