The expression "The Big Smoke" evokes a big city and the pollution associated with it.
The Big Smoke takes visitors on a journey through time and space, with a central theme: air pollution.
The artwork draws on the colour code of the forecast maps to modulate the tint of the smoke clouds (cold/good > hot/extremely bad).
The project uses air quality data, through an overall index including ozone, nitrogen dioxide, particulate matter and fine particles.
The simulations images are generated with text to image machine learning model (Stable Diffusion).
The artistic vision is deliberately colourful and bright, even joyful.
The gravitas of the subject is faced with this paradoxical representation, creating a shift that enhances the issue and prevents rejection at first sight.
The aim of the project is twofold,
— raise awareness: to provide a tangible way of visualising intangible data (pollutant levels detected by measuring stations, patterns: levels change according to daily activity, season, GPS position, etc.).
— take the drama out of it: to question our collective imagination and open up the discussion of possible alternatives (soft modes of transport, greening, insulation, etc.).
