:: site-specific and interactive virtual reality sculpture ::
Created by Edrex Fontanilla and Sarah Nelson Wright
wood, paint, found objects, 360 degree video
2022
Tomorrow’s Sea is an interactive media sculpture with a virtual reality viewer that uses the metaphor of a telescope to transport viewers to NYC shorelines threatened by climate change and rising sea levels. The wooden viewer, designed to evoke maritime history and wooden boats, rotates 360 degrees to reveal panoramic views and soundscapes created from field recordings by the artists. Taking the perspective of the landscape, the videos will immerse the viewer in wild beaches and urban vistas of endangered shorelines in New York City that may be underwater due to sea level rise by 2100. By inviting viewers to observe and appreciate these places, the artists hope to inspire a meditation on the city and the water, the resilience of nature, and the urgent need for action on climate change.
Tomorrow’s Seas premiered at the South Street Seaport in New York, NY, for the Waterfront Alliance’s Art at the BlueLine in July 2022.
The project features these NYC shorelines endangered by climate change and sea level rise: Coney Island Creek (Brooklyn), Hamilton Beach (Queens), Tottenville (Staten Island), and Red Hook (Brooklyn).
Screen Capture of Excerpts of Coney Island Creek 360 video:
If you have the Vimeo app on your device, you can interact with our 360 video of Coney Island Creek here.
Thanks:
To the Waterfront Alliance, The Howard Hughes Corporation, and the South Street Seaport Museum for selecting and supporting this project.
To Nathan Kensinger, for his location scouting, research and consulting.
To Joy Somberg, for feedback and testing.
To Ava Makris, for helping at the events.