Prosthetics for a Changing Climate
Alinta Krauth
'Prosthetics for a Changing Climate' was made in response to the 2019/20 Australian bushfires that devastated millions of acres of land, killed an estimated over 1 billion wild animals, and some humans as well, and displaced many people from their homes. It has been shown that these fires were made much worse than previous bushfires due to climate change drying out subtropical forests, and it is predicted that they will only get worse in future due to rising dry temperatures.
In the aftermath, many wildlife rescuers attempted to save the animals who were left alive, but many were found having been burnt alive or died from smoke inhalation. In response to this heartbreak, 'Prosthetics for a Changing Climate' takes a speculative look at a future where we can design personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks and eye goggles for wildlife, to help them survive future fires. The work invites users to design PPE using a set of given inventory.
Narratives appear on the screen around the animal based on the PPE chosen by the user. In essence, the user designs the story of the animal.
About the Artist
Alinta Krauth is a multidisciplinary new media artist and writer. She is also a researcher of interactive art for more-than-human situations and spaces. Her current focuses include the use of mobile interactive devices, interactive projection, and sensor–based art as a response to more–than–human agency, and caring for non–humans. Much of her work involves ecological themes and scientific fieldwork alongside ecology experts and wildlife rescue organisations. Recent installations of her creative works have been seen in GentleMonster, Seoul South Korea, White Night (Nuit Blanche), Melbourne Australia, The Powerhouse, Sydney Australia, Eidgenössische Technische Hochschule, Zurich Switzerland, and Art Laboratory Berlin, Berlin Germany. Recent scholarly works can be seen in Electronic Book Review and The Encyclopedia of The Internet.