Climate change talking point art exhibit installed at Littleborough’s Ebor Studio

Scroll down for Video

A new climate change talking point has been installed at Littleborough’s Ebor Studio.

The work, entitled ‘CRITICAL THRESHOLD’ is the work of local artist Babs Smith, working alongside Manchester- based musician Holly Phelps.

CRITICAL THRESHOLD is an interactive abstract augmented reality piece of artwork currently exhibited on the side of Ebor Studio building as part of the Billboard Project, sponsored by the Arts Council England.

The work responds to the tipping point in climate change that we are now experiencing, a monumental shift, demonstrating lost edges and our irrecoverable path back to safety. The sound was made in collaboration with Manchester Based Musician Holly Phelps (IORA).

Based at Ebor Studios, Babs is a multidisciplinary artist and recent fine art graduate scholar of the University of Salford Art Collection. She creates work online and offline online in AR, VR and AI. She collaborates with musicians and scientists to investigate environmental issues and her work strives to include the viewer in a visceral experience of the subject.

 

 

Working in a virtual reality environment established during lockdown on an Oculus Rift, she uses full body movements to create abstract images which come alive in Augmented Reality.

These are triggered by paintings or prints made in traditional mediums in the studio. It is important that the image has a physical presence and that viewers can choose to interact; this portal to the artist is momentary but deep and often results in conversations on this critical subject, which can be overwhelming and incomprehensible.

Using Artivive (an Augmented Reality App for artists) facilitates this on any mobile device for free and without restrictions such as the gallery being open.

CRITICAL THRESHOLD will be exhibited until 6 November (possibly longer) but will feature digitally during and after this.