Conversations around climate change are often highly pessimistic, with new scientific data leading to despair and defeatism. There is an urgent need for symbols of repair and healing to replace these familiar narratives, which can stand in the way of meaningful climate action.

A rotating beam sits atop a bed of sand, inscribing patterns into the sand below. The sand is ground olivine, a green volcanic mineral that is found abundantly in the Earth’s subsurface. When seawater meets olivine, a reaction occurs that pulls carbon dioxide out of the air and the carbon finds its way to the bottom of the sea, stored as carbon deposits. This process—mineral weathering—constitutes one of the Earth’s natural mechanisms to regulate its carbon level and functions as an important carbon sink. 

The patterns are generated from global climate datasets—carbon emissions, tweets on climate change, meteorological data—which are then translated into visualisations to represent collective action. Seen from above, the rotating installation creates mandala-like patterns in the sand. The mandala is a spiritual symbol in Eastern religions, used during meditation to help with healing. In this way, the form and material of the installation become a symbol of recovery and restoration—an important aspect of climate action that is all-too-often overlooked.

In Collaboration with Isabella Ong
Installation, 1.5m diameter 

Exhibited at National Design Centre, Singapore, Hearth Art Space, Singapore and Glasgow Science Centre as part of COP26 Green Zone.