Concept:
In today’s age, climate change remains one of our most pressing concerns, and our role as humans in this issue is undeniable. This generative art project aims to convey this message, highlighting our influence on our environment.
The dynamic waves in the visualization, expanding outwards when the mouse is pressed, are symbolic of the rising sea levels. At the heart of the piece lies a yellow circle – the sun, representing hope and the promise of a new day. Placing the sun in the center implies that despite the dangers and challenges, there’s a core of hope and a chance for a new beginning. This balances the alarming nature of the design with optimism.
The colors of the waves transition from blue to green to brown, encompassing the elements of water, vegetation, and the desert, paying homage to the UAE’s natural landscapes as it hosts the 2023 COP convention. COP – or Conference of Parties- is an annual global conference under the United Nations that brings together nations to discuss and advance international responses to climate change.
The waves do not move in a smooth, organized, calm manner. Instead, they are overlapping, some have bigger amplitudes than others and their speed increases over time. This creates a chaotic motion, representing the uncertain and messy reality of climate change.
In my opinion, the most important aspect of this piece is its interactivity. The fact that the user, through their control of the mouse, directly influences the expansion of the waves and the size of the sun highlights the significant role humans play in the climate crisis. Whether we’re causing the sea levels to rise or projecting more hope for the future, the power is quite literally in our hands. This concept is further reinforced with the text embedded within the sketch “The future is in your hands”, emphasizing that every action counts.
The design of this project was partly inspired by this animation by @mr_praline on Instagram.
Embedded Code
Future Direction:
1) I want to enhance the immersive experience by integrating sound – maybe a gentle lapping of waves or the whistles of wind.
2) I want the piece to reinforce its homage to the UAE. An idea is to outline UAE landmarks at the bottom of the sketch, perhaps the Burj Khalifa.
3) Emphasize the desert more by creating sand particles being blown off the dunes, maybe through the emitters we learned in Particle Systems
4) Add a drag force to the waves to represent water undercurrents
5) Maybe introduce aquatic creatures as random walkers