Opening of the audio-visual art installation ‘Shimmer’

Opening of the audio-visual art installation 'Shimmer' by Sten Saarits

On August 3 at 3 pm, the interactive video installation ‘Shimmer’ by Sten Saarits will open at the AHHAA Science Centre. The installation is part of the trans-European cultural project ‘Look into my Ice’ and of the main programme of the European Capital of Culture Tartu 2024.

Opening speeches will be given by representatives of AHHAA and Look into my Ice, also the artist will be present. Drinks and snacks will be offered for free.

‘Shimmer’ is an interactive audio-visual art installation which welcomes the visitors with a large panoramic video projection. Beneath the portrayed frozen scenery, they discover an interactive foreign entity that shimmers. While exploring the projected landscape, this fluid entity reacts to their movements by refracting light. With its enchanting presence, it captivates the audience, moving gracefully like a mysterious creature from another world.

The artwork serves as a poignant reflection on our interconnectedness with the environment and our complex relationship with fossil fuels. The fluid body depicted in the video appears as a side effect of mesut pollution or oil handling. It is an image that has a polarizing effect on society’s attitude towards fossil fuel consumption culture. The animated frozen sea surface acts like a pair of rose-colored glasses, creating a deceptive sense of security about the future.

As a country bordering the sea, we have been fortunate that the Baltic Sea has been spared from extreme pollution disasters, despite the thousands of large vessels that constantly navigate it and the hundreds that transport hazardous waste. It is easy to stand on the (still) seasonally frozen coast and think that problems regarding foreign seas have no effect on our lives. Ignoring the looming darkness behind black gold.

How can we observe a material body through a neutral and politically unbiased perspective? This installation offers viewers the time and space to contemplate the allure and consequences of our reliance on finite resources through interactive engagement. By moving with the shimmering matter across the frozen landscape, it encourages contemplation of our environmental impact and prompts a reconsideration of our perceptions and behaviors in relation to art and ecological issues.

Animation assist: Egle Ehtjen