Ivar Veermäe. Earthbounds, Windlicks and Raintouches

In the realm of techno-utopian dreams, humans could control the global climate system. One of the most realistic and scientifically studied proposals is stratospheric aerosol injection, which involves spraying large amounts of aerosols into the stratosphere. There, they would scatter the Sun’s radiation, thereby reducing the amount of energy that reaches the Earth’s surface.

Earthbounds, Windlicks and Raintouches begins by attempting to contextualise this idea. What exactly is it? What kind of background system would it need? What kind of place is the stratosphere, and where is it? Who can operate there, and how? What mental images are connected to it?

The majority of the exhibition focuses on Ivar Veermäe’s DIY research between the ground and the stratosphere. Using weather balloons, a technology that has recently attracted special attention in Lithuania, the artist sent various types of objects to an altitude of approximately 30 kilometres. The balloons burst there and the objects fell back to the ground.

The second installation is based on artist discussions with scientists and academics working in the field of climate modification. It covers a wide range of topics, including questions about visual models and their real-life impact, uncertainties connected to geoengineering, questions about power and CO₂ mitigation, and guesses about climate warming and the probability of deploying stratospheric aerosol injection.

Supported by: Estonian Cultural Endowment, KKKC