The landscape comes wrapped in semiotic discourses, particularly as medium in itself, either in the definition of the view, or in the representation of the same. The semiotic discourse arises often associated with a social practice that has transformed the space. CulturalNature Arga #2 is intended as a reflection on this process and its consequences.

The installation is composed of a projection in splitscreen and an interactive device (a cube). This works as a metaphor of the space, a kind of synecdoche representing the territory of the Serra de Arga, and each face of the cube is associated with a video. Thus, the user, depending on the face that is upwards, visualize the video (on the left side) that is associated to that same cube side. The user have access to 6 videos that represent particular aspects associated with human activity and active agents in the transformation of the landscape: (i) herd / pasture, (ii) agricultural activity, (iii) housing, (iv) water, (v) Horses (Garranos); (vi) aeolian.

In addition to viewing the videos, which are presented on the left side of the splitscreen, the user can shake the cube. Through this metaphorical gesture, the user causes "noise" on the transmission of video, this being represented by an image distortion and, as a consequence, the landscape on the right side is modified.

Developed with Processing and Arduino.

Image, Sound and Programming
Tiago Cruz and Fernando Paulino

Glitch sounds by LaptopNoise.com

Serra d'Arga, Julho 2013

CulturalNature Arga#2 was exhibited in the Design Center of Óbidos (Portugal) during a Digital Media Art PhD students meeting in July (2013). And in Olhão (Portugal), at an European Researchers Meeting, in September (2013).