1. About Liquid Trees
My first article on liquid trees was current, as it covered a topic that is still ongoing while referring to climate change issues that are relevant today. However, the article I chose was not covered by a news website, and was instead that of a site called "World Bio Market Insights," pointing towards a possible bias and agenda on the matter.
The article I am choosing to cover for research is that of Euronews' "This 'liquid tree' in Belgrade is Fighting Back Against Air Pollution," as it covers the same relevant topic while being from a news article that avoids economic biases. The "liquid tree" concept installed in Serbia is an example of cutting edge technology being used in order to fight against carbon emissions, evolve public infrastructure, and combine organic life with technology as cities move towards a smarter, technologically driven structure.
2. What did I learn, What Questions Do I Have?
The topic of photobioreactors is as interesting as it is complicated. My own understanding of it relates to that of algae cultivation, light, making the energy usage more efficient as more developments are made, and reducing carbon footprint by generating oxygen and taking carbon dioxide from the air. They are described as "a solution for tackling greenhouse gas emissions and improving air quality" by Euronews (Euronews).
- How does a photobioreactor affect carbon footprint?
Photobioreactors affect carbon footprint by using algae, which uses photosynthesis to make oxygen and use carbon dioxide. By cultivating algae life in a controlled environment, this process can be used to reduce carbon emissions.
- What are the drawbacks of current photobioreactors?
Current photobioreactors use an intense amount of water, with the one in Belgrade being noted as using "six hundred litres of water," a number that is extraordinarily high especially when considering that this is for a single urban installation (Euronews).
- Are photobioreactors an alternative to planting trees and other plant life?
Similar to other ways of lowering carbon emissions, such as wind turbines and solar power, the goal is not to replace everything with a specific idea, but to use them together in order to drive carbon emissions down while looking for renewable solutions to our problems. In this case, photobioreactors can be used to supplement trees by existing in environments that cannot support plant life, like dense urban environments, rather than replace them.
3. Project Proposal - Solar Monitored Octane Generator (SMOG)
While doing research for this assignment, I was thinking to myself, "how could I take my research on carbon emissions and apply it to a separate project without being too similar to my thesis?" After thinking on this for a while and referring back to the Survivaball, my adjacent project would be that of the Solar Monitored Octane Generator, or SMOG. This would take a satirical approach to the topic of climate change and technology.
The idea for this project would be to create an ironic fictional invention in the form of a generator whose purpose is to contribute to carbon footprint in a negative way, with even more irony coming from the inclusion of solar power in the process. This would be a fictional product that uses solar power to electronically allow an octane generator to run indefinitely, while having an exaggerated smoke-filled result. The absurdity of the project would be similar to that of the Survivaball.
Articles and Educational Sources
https://www.euronews.com/2021/12/07/this-liquid-tree-in-belgrade-is-fighting-back-against-air-pollution
Kansas State University Article
The Critique Handbook
- Preface
The idea of the rest stop that was talked about in class is referred to in the preface of this book. This idea is that of a critique being a necessary step on the path to success in the studio. In a field that combines multiple cultures, perspectives, and relies on subjectiveness, it is important to understand how to use art school critiques to move forward.
The idea of the art critique is something that is definitely necessary. It is something that I had to warm up to, and something that I imagine most art students had to warm up to, but understanding how to take criticism and use critiques as a resource rather than taking it negatively is extremely helpful while trying to learn the skills necessary to succeed in any art field. Though my own experience might be skewed as a graphic design major, something that makes me think less towards fine art
- Introduction
"But the critique is not a singular goal or deadline. Rather, it is one of many, part of a series of cadences that partition the semester into sections of creative productivity... a marker of perpetual beginning" (Buster and Crawford ix).
Critiques are often looked at as a hard deadline, and this is something that I do myself fairly often. It is easy to overlook the idea that these critiques are building up to something greater over the course of a semester, rather than keeping the scope of a project to just the week or two weeks that are given for an assignment. At the end of the day, these critiques help a student as they learn more about their practiced art form until the semester is over. Critiques for smaller assignments build towards a better final, and are not just isolated assignments.
"the interpretation of art is subjective, and that often winners and losers alike do not necessarily deserve either the censure or the praise they receive" (Buster and Crawford x).
This is an idea that is really important to understand, and I am thankful to have professors that make this very clear in their classes as well. In a topic that is as subjective and divisive as art, it is important to understand that an audience's criticism will come from their own experiences and ideas, but this does not necessarily mean that one opinion is the only opinion. Critiques, then, allow these perspectives to be shared in a way that provides a student with the context they need to learn.
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