Aleksandra Dulic

Visual Climate Change Communication: From Iconography to Locally Framed 3D Visualization

Climate change is an urgent problem with implications registered not only globally, but also on national and local scales. It is a particularly challenging case of environmental communication because its main cause, greenhouse gas emissions, is invisible. The predominant approach of making climate change visible is the use of iconic, often affective, imagery. Literature on the iconography of climate change shows that global iconic motifs, such as polar bears, have contributed to a public perception of the problem as spatially and temporally remote. This paper proposes an alternative approach to global climate change icons by focusing on recognizable representations of local impacts within an interactive game environment. This approach was implemented and tested in a research project based on the municipality of Delta, British Columbia. A major outcome of the research is Future Delta, an interactive educational game featuring 3D visualizations and simulation tools for climate change adaptation and mitigation future scenarios. The empirical evaluation is based on quantitative pre/post-game play questionnaires with 18 students and 10 qualitative expert interviews. The findings support the assumption that interactive 3D imagery is effective in communicating climate change. The quantitative post-questionnaires particularly highlight a shift in support of more local responsibility.

The empathy machine

The Empathy Machine is an interactive installation that augments a visitors empathic sense during a social conversation. Empathy is a key component of interpersonal interactions that is often neglected by modern communication technologies. This system uses facial expression recognition to identify the emotional state of a users conversation partner. It algorithmically generates emotional music to match the expressive state of the partner and plays the music to the user in a non-disruptive manner. The result is an augmentation of the users emotional response to the emotional expression of their partner.

The EMPATHY MACHINE

Empathy is a key component of interpersonal interactions that is often neglected by modern communication technologies. This paper presents the theoretical basis, prototype, and preliminary user testing for an application of affective computing in mediating live human-to-human interactions. The proposed system uses facial expression recognition to identify the emotional state of a users conversation partner. It algorithmically generates emotional music to match the expressive state of the partner and plays the music to the user in a non-disruptive manner. Preliminary user studies indicate that the prototype system can generate music that users reliably associate with the emotions of anger, happiness, fear, and sadness and that the presence of emotional music augments the emotional response generated by visual cues.

Future delta motivating climate change action grounded in place

In this paper we discuss the Future Delta game, as a time-forward 3-D visualization and simulation tool that aims to motivate actions and behavioral changes and to educate players about climate change mitigation and adaptations solutions and challenges. The game simulation is situated in a recognizable community locale: the flood-prone neighborhood of Delta, BC. Combining climate change modeling, socioeconomic scenario analysis and 3D modeling of real places with engaging soundscapes and imagery, our game is designed to make climate change science and solutions more salient and understandable to the layperson. The project comprises a game simulation and dynamic 3D visualizations of future local climate change scenarios to provide an environment for experiential learning tied to place attachment. The project builds on a foundation rich in research, experimentation, and production in the topic of climate change in Delta, but extends previous work into a new representational platform of virtual game. An initial testing of the game shows that engaging with the game strengthened the users belief that action can be taken to mitigate climate change and increased their support for more transformative social changes to achieve climate mitigation and adaptation.

Crafting sustainability: approaching wicked environmental problems through high–low tech practice

Abstract Wicked environmental problems are complex, ill-defined and constantly shifting. Analytical methods alone are typically under-equipped to address these problems. High–low tech is a craftmaking and design practice that encourages makers to merge high- and low-tech materials, processes and cultures. We explore how high–low tech practices can create new ways of understanding wicked environmental problems and lead practitioners towards new ways of approaching them. Through five examples of high–low tech practices, we explore the qualities of these practices—an embrace of complexity, a transdisciplinary approach to work and a maker ethos—that make high–low tech practices particularly well suited to addressing wicked environmental problems.

Visual music instrument

Innovations in form and technology are fuelling the contemporary experimentation with musical, visual art and animation. The visual music expression through interactive computational media unites music, visual art and animation both in terms of their phenomenal experience and in terms of their elementary structure that consists of flexible and dynamic information flows and code. The flexibility and dynamism of coded processes readily support both performance and improvisation within interactive visual music and provides exciting compositional and expressive opportunities. In our visual music work, synaesthetic composition, computational expression and the dynamics of performance provide three elementary research axes.

Encoding Practice — Visual Performer in Electronic Theatre

Abstract Encoded practice acts as a bridge across the space between logic and intuition, thereby providing a place for creative action. A theoretical framework around the concept of code as artistic practice and research laboratory is developed. We present an artists software project, CompoundEye, that allows the composition and performance of multi-channel video content. The impact of this tool on the creative process of a multimedia production is discussed. Changes in this creative process and methodology as a result of the expanded possibilities provided by CompoundEye are described.

Future delta 2.0 an experiential learning context for a serious game about local climate change

In this paper we discuss the theoretical, design and evaluative underpinnings of the experiential learning context central to the design processes of the Future Delta 2.0 serious game. The game is aimed at facilitating understanding and action on local climate change. We begin with a discussion of play as it relates to designing serious games. Then we articulate the experiential learning context revealed through three interconnected design strands: meaningful learning objectives -- how the learning is structured; situatedness -- where the learning takes place, geographically and culturally; learning through action -- how learning happens through play. We introduce the experiential learning context of Future Delta 2.0, a virtual 3D game. The game reaches across art, science and technology to communicate a community-based local vision of climate change challenges and solutions in Delta, British Columbia. Finally, we discuss the design, evaluation methods and analysis of the Future Delta 2.0 experiential learning context. Our conclusion is that the experiential learning context may contribute theoretically and practically to the research and design of 3D serious games.

Performing Animator instrument for live media

In this paper we discuss the design of Performing Animator, an expressive instrument for live media, we developed in support of our situated interdisciplinary performance practice. The concept of a cinema of braided processes is introduced as a basic structure for media instrument design. This media performance instrument is described in terms of its conceptual, design and performative aspects. The Performing Animator Instrument is analogous to a musical instrument that enables generative animation, film editing and compositing, tailored for improvisational expression of projected visual media elements. Design of the instrument evolved based on eight years of development (2003-2011) initiated by a number of interdisciplinary and cross-cultural performance productions as well as inspirations drawn from our study of Balinese Shadow Play (Wayang Kulit). Our instrument presents the performer with a large set of techniques that enable flexible media manipulation and generation. The paper also addresses issues related to the tensions between narrative structure and perfomative expression, live and recorded media and the structuring of improvised media.