An Interactive Light Installation That Shows Where the Future Sea Level Will Reach in a Scottish Coastal Town

Interactive Light Installation High Tide Depth Outer Hebrides

Finnish artists Pekka Niittyvirta and Timo Aho have created “Lines (57° 59′ N, 7° 16′ W)”, an prescient, site-specific interactive installation that uses LED lights and sensors to show where the high tides will reach on existing structures when the sea level ultimately rises. The name of the project refers to the location of the low-lying island archipelago of North Uist in the Outer Hebrides islands west Scotland.

This coastal area is specifically known for its high tides and devastating storm surges, which makes it the best location to install a project such as this one, that was created for Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum & Arts Centre, which is located on the island.

By use of sensors, the installation interacts with the rising tidal changes; activating on high tide. The work provides a visual reference of future sea level rise. The installation explores the catastrophic impact of our relationship with nature and its long term effects. The work provokes a dialogue on how the rising sea levels will affect coastal areas, its inhabitants and land usage in the future.

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via Flowing Data

Lori Dorn
Lori Dorn

Lori is a Laughing Squid Contributing Editor based in New York City who has been writing blog posts for over a decade. She also enjoys making jewelry, playing guitar, taking photos and mixing craft cocktails.