Emission of the Cloud
A strange construction is installed at the Stadthalle, a fog machine that collects CO2 from the air in chambers and ejects it at regular intervals. When air and gas collide, rotating rings are created. Chemnitz-based artist Simon Weckert works at the interface of fine art, new media and artificial intelligence. He writes about his work: “The internet allows us to send messages, share pictures, download music and stream videos at the touch of a button, but our online habits have a surprising impact on the environment. Because every photo, every streaming minute, every search query involves a server. And to keep them running optimally, server rooms are air-conditioned and kept at a constant and cool 22 degrees Celsius. These consume water and electricity, a lot of electricity. A comparison: if the internet was a country, it would already be the sixth largest CO2 emitter, and the trend is rising. To draw attention to this fact, my artwork aims to depict the average mobile data consumption of Chemnitz residents of 3,280 GB per hour (which corresponds to around 450 kg of CO2) in the form of a ring of clouds. The installation transforms the emitted smoke into a symbol for the path that the footprint of our digital consumption takes in the atmosphere.” The artwork connects the local data consumption in Chemnitz with the international server locations and visualises quick decisions with global consequences.