The Backpack of Wings
The Backpack of Wings is an artistic research project that investigates communication with non-human beings. Inspired by new tracking technologies for wildlife and earthquake myths from East Asia, the project combines current scientific research with speculative future scenarios.
Since ancient times, there have been reports that animals can foresee natural disasters before humans. This assumption forms the basis for many legends and myths but is also studied in today’s science. Using mobile measurement systems, also known as telemetry systems, data is collected: animals are measured, analyzed, and tracked. This provides insights into animal behavior, also in correlation with human activities and climatic changes. However it also provokes a lot of questions: How far is the intervention of human beings into non-humans acceptable? Will the animals be perceived as essential members of human society? Will they be revered as divine agents for predicting the future, or simply as measuring tools? And above all, could it be a proper solution for the opaque future or is it another anthropocentric techo-fixational illusion?
Based on mythological traditions and scientific findings, Jeong and Yuk develop fictional scenarios: using telemetry data, natural disasters are predicted in the near future, or a network is developed in the distant future that digitally connects animals and humans: an Internet of Animals. This technology would redefine the relationship between humans and animals and the way we deal with the climate crisis and its impacts.
The whole project is presented as an multidimensional installation through several works: The film “The Backpack of Wings: Modern Mythology” depicts a near future, and a further future with the installations “Pĭlacommúnĭtas”, “Super Pĭlacommúnĭtas”, “Nephesh”, “2022 Artifact”. The workshop “The Backpack of Wings: Sensory Networks” puts the lens on one migratory bird by using the GPS data, and invites the participants to create an imaginary storytelling.
︎︎︎See all works of The Backpack of Wings
Acknowledgement
In cooperation with Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour: Michael Quetting, Hemal Naik, Carla Avolio, Andrea Flack
Supported by Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) based on a decision of the German Bundestag
*The backpack of wings’ was developed within the framework of Driving the Human; cooperation between Forecast/Skills e.V., HfG, ZKM, acatech.
Since ancient times, there have been reports that animals can foresee natural disasters before humans. This assumption forms the basis for many legends and myths but is also studied in today’s science. Using mobile measurement systems, also known as telemetry systems, data is collected: animals are measured, analyzed, and tracked. This provides insights into animal behavior, also in correlation with human activities and climatic changes. However it also provokes a lot of questions: How far is the intervention of human beings into non-humans acceptable? Will the animals be perceived as essential members of human society? Will they be revered as divine agents for predicting the future, or simply as measuring tools? And above all, could it be a proper solution for the opaque future or is it another anthropocentric techo-fixational illusion?
Based on mythological traditions and scientific findings, Jeong and Yuk develop fictional scenarios: using telemetry data, natural disasters are predicted in the near future, or a network is developed in the distant future that digitally connects animals and humans: an Internet of Animals. This technology would redefine the relationship between humans and animals and the way we deal with the climate crisis and its impacts.
The whole project is presented as an multidimensional installation through several works: The film “The Backpack of Wings: Modern Mythology” depicts a near future, and a further future with the installations “Pĭlacommúnĭtas”, “Super Pĭlacommúnĭtas”, “Nephesh”, “2022 Artifact”. The workshop “The Backpack of Wings: Sensory Networks” puts the lens on one migratory bird by using the GPS data, and invites the participants to create an imaginary storytelling.
︎︎︎See all works of The Backpack of Wings
Acknowledgement
In cooperation with Max Planck Institute of Animal Behaviour: Michael Quetting, Hemal Naik, Carla Avolio, Andrea Flack
Supported by Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) based on a decision of the German Bundestag
*The backpack of wings’ was developed within the framework of Driving the Human; cooperation between Forecast/Skills e.V., HfG, ZKM, acatech.