Ever wondered how polluted the air you breathe is? These pods will give you some idea. (Source: Somerset House/Twitter)
An interactive art installation showcases ‘pollution pods’ created by artist Michael Pinsky that seems to have created quite a buzz on social media. Each of these unique pods simulates a different location — London, New Delhi, Sao Paolo, Beijing and Tautra — and duplicates the pollution in these places. These domes are currently set up within London’s Somerset House and will be there until April 24.
The installation has been set up to test whether art as a medium can change people’s view about air pollution all across the globe. The domes have been designed using technology from air quality tech firm Airlabs.
Somerset House, which is located in England, posted a tweet informing people about the event. They wrote, “OPEN NOW: Discover artist #MichaelPinsky’s immersive #PollutionPods installation in our courtyard for #EarthDay2018, a visceral experience that emulates air pollution in five global cities. Until 24 Apr.”
OPEN NOW: Discover artist #MichaelPinsky‘s immersive #PollutionPods installation in our courtyard for #EarthDay2018, a visceral experience that emulates air pollution in five global cities. Until 24 Apr: http://t.co/nKIspLOkBv pic.twitter.com/OQU3DtOHwz
— Somerset House (@SomersetHouse) April 18, 2018
Even though the researchers created a “polluted” environment, they did not want to put the public in danger and hence, they replaced the harmful chemicals with non-toxic ingredients. Pinsky original commission for the climate art came from the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
Tweeting about the display, NTNU wrote, “Can climate art make people change their habits? The #pollutionpods art installation first set up during the #starmus festival in #Trondheim is now in London!”