Five Artists Explore Technology and Environment Through Aesthetica Art Prize Projects

The Aesthetica Art Prize showcases artists working at the intersection of art and technology, with five featured projects examining data, robotics, climate, and organic structures. Manifest Data Lab's Carbon Chronicles visualizes CO2 accumulation from the industrial revolution to present, starting with UK coal emissions in the 1750s and showing Global North industrial activity responsible for 92% of CO2 by the late 1800s. London-based Susan Eyre creates The Breath of Stars, a live digital interaction visualizing cosmic rays striking Earth's atmosphere. Yoshiyuki Katayama's Umwelt series employs time-lapse techniques to capture plant evolution combined with slow-motion insect imagery. Henry Driver's Odyssey presents an interactive installation with eight television sets creating an endless hallucinatory dreamscape where horizons remain unattainable. Emma-Kate Matthews explores relationships between music and architecture through digital simulation and three-dimensional scanning of acoustic properties. The Aesthetica Art Prize is currently accepting entries until 31 August 2024, offering £10,000, exhibition opportunities, and publication. These projects were featured in a roundup published on 19 May 2024 that examines how contemporary artists use emerging technologies to investigate digital relationships and environmental concerns.