본 프로젝트는 강이연 교수가 Google의 Arts and Culture부서와 NASA(미항공우주국) JPL(Jet Propulsion Laboratory)와 협력한 연구의 결과물로 발표한 새로운 예술 작품이다. NASA의 두 가지 위성 (Grace, SWOT) 데이터를 사용하여 지구의 담수 문제를 시각화(data visualisation)하고, 나아가 현재의 위기 상황을 재고할 수 있는 경험을 제공하여 기후변화와 물위기의 관계를 조명하는 작업으로서, 온라인 프로젝트와 오프라인 프로젝트로 구성되어 있다. 특히 2022년 12월 발사한 SWOT의 최초 데이터가 아직 대중에게 공개되기 전, 이 프로젝트에 최초 사용되었다. 온라인 전시는 Google 플랫폼 (https://experiments. withgoogle. com/passage-of-water)을 통해서 11월 30일 공개되어 전세계 누구라도 관람할 수 있으며, 대규모의 오프라인 전시는 11월 30일부터 12월 12일까지 아랍에미리트 두바이 엑스포시티에서 열리는 “제28차 유엔기후변화협약 당사국총회(COP28 Dubai)”에서 회의 기간 내내 전시된다. 2023년 12월 COP 종료와 함께 오프라인 전시는 종료하였으며, 온라인 프로젝트는 누구든 영구히 접속하여 볼 수 있다.
This project is the result of a collaboration between Professor Kang, Google Arts & Culture, and NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL). It introduces a new artistic work that utilizes data visualization to address Earth’s freshwater issues by employing data from NASA’s Grace and SWOT satellites. The project is designed to provide an immersive experience that inspires reflection on the current freshwater crisis and its causal relationship between climate change, incorporating both online and offline components. The SWOT satellite was launched in Dec 2022, and its first dataset was exclusively used for the first time in Prof Kang’s project before being publicly released. The online exhibition was launched on November 30th through the Google platform (https://experiments.withgoogle.com/passage-of-water). It is accessible to the global audience, allowing anyone to view it. The large-scale offline exhibition was showcased from November 30th to December 12th at the Luxembourg Pavilion in Expo City in Dubai, United Arab Emirates, during the 28th United Nations Climate Change Conference of the Parties (COP28 Dubai). The exhibition was on display throughout the duration of the conference. The offline exhibition was organized by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and was featured in the Blue Zone of COP28 Dubai. Unlike the Green Zone, which is accessible to the general public, the Blue Zone serves as the main venue for COP, where leaders, policymakers, and climate experts from various countries gather to engage in climate negotiations and explore major events and solutions. This zone holds special significance due to its focus on high-level discussions and decision-making related to climate change. Discussions for this project began with Google in October 2022, and NASA also joined the project in January 2023, marking the official commencement of collaborative efforts. Although the offline exhibition came to an end with the conclusion of COP in December 2023, the online project remains permanently accessible for anyone to view.