Junkspace (installation, 2012) A time and location sensitive video installation and corresponding iOS App that superimposes two forms of waste, one earth—bound (electronic waste) and the other celestial (orbital debris). Junkspace draws attention to these two forms of waste and to the huge scale of the problems they pose. Using orbital debris tracking data published by NORAD and the GPS coordinates of the exhibition venue, the movement of e—waste on screen aligns with the orbital path of actual pieces of debris in orbit relative to the viewer’s location. As an installation, animated electronic objects are projected onto a screen (or projected on a translucent material adhered to a window in the space). As a piece of e—waste moves across the center of the screen, a corresponding satellite/rocket name, country of origin, and launch date appears at the bottom of the screen. Viewers can also download the free iOS JUNKSPACE App to obtain more detailed information on the original purpose of the satellite or rocket. The App allows viewers to see more of the sky as they move the device around. Additionally, the mobile App draws attention to the impending obsolescence of the very device upon which the project is viewed.
Lynn Cazabon (b. 1964) and Neal McDonald (b. 1967) are artists based in Baltimore, Maryland who collaboratively create works combining data—mining, animation and photography that seek to raise awareness about pressing environmental issues. They both are on the faculty of University of Maryland, Baltimore County. They each also work independently. Cazabon’s work focuses on what gets left behind in the wake of human progress. Her work often takes of the form of photographic images presented in the context of websites, videos, and audio and has been exhibited widely both nationally and internationally. McDonald considers his work in game development to be equal parts high art, entrepreneurship, and social commentary, exploring the ways that art exists (and is forced to exist) in America. He has developed multiple products for several different platforms including eight iOS apps.
