Air Datascape: Feeling and Sensing Air in Southampton

The project will deploy air pollution sensors, and survey changes of air qualities in Southampton. The collected data will bedeployed in an art installation. The aim of this project is to make air pollution visible to the public through art installation.Instead of having infographics or a report, the project will come up with an innovative ways in which science, creativeengineering and art converge. The research will involve a small number of volunteers who will walk and run in Southampton tocollect air pollution data. This will include PI's participation in Southampton Marathon in which PI will carry an air pollutionsensor to record data. In the mid-way through the project, PI will lead discussions to analyse the data, and plan to turn the datainto an artwork. Apart from the aim of making air pollution visible, methodologically the project will demonstrate an excitingways in which scientists, artists and engineers share knowledge and communicate with each other despite usually operating indifferent and specialized languages and approaches. In turn the outcome will demonstrate an effective ways in which art canfunction as a catalyst for bringing science, technology, and social concerns together and provide a solution for air pollution

Air pollution sensors will be used by a small group of volunteers and they will produce a video map of air pollution in Southampton. By comparing it with similar maps produced by air toxicologists and Met (meteorological) office, the group will discuss potentiality and problems of citizen science. Once the data is accumulated, artworks using microcontrollers will be assembled and the data will be deployed within them. Once the codes for the microcontrollers are complete, the group of volunteers will be invited back to use the data and discuss what the effective ways in which they can make artworks. They will be guided by PI to build a device while using the data. The outcomes will be exhibited in a gallery in Southampton, and the video map will be made accessible online. During the duration of an exhibition, a small workshop will be organized for the public to try out and discover how environmental data such as air pollution can be playfully integrated in art making