NOW / Naoia
Real-time generative landscape - Vanuatu
NOW / Naoia* translates meteorological data and time of day from a specific geographical location into realistic moving images, in real time. The generative imagery is constantly changing, never to be repeated.
The POV has the viewer standing at the water’s edge, facing the ocean. Depending on the weather conditions and hour, the image that one sees may call to mind various art-historical depictions related to the sea.
The location data used in this project is from the South Pacific island nation of Vanuatu. Vanuatu has consistently ranked among the world's most climate-vulnerable nations, facing existential threats from rising sea levels and coastal erosion.
Cloud layers shift with live wind data. The ocean surface responds to real wave conditions. Light changes with the solar position for Vanuatu's latitude and longitude at that moment. When CO₂ readings are elevated, a subtle color shift moves through the ocean — a coral bleach effect, barely perceptible but real. During cyclone conditions, the scene responds accordingly.
*Naoia is the word for “now” in Bislama, the national language of Vanuatu.
Vanuatu 15.3767° S, 166.9592° E 04:01:46 PM, 26-10-2026
From a fixed position at the water's edge, the viewer encounters an ocean and sky that change with the weather and passage of time. The artist establishes the system, but the conditions determining what appears remain beyond her control.
NOW / Naoia — one-minute excerpt from a varying, real-time . Silent.
Installation
NOW / Naoia is conceived as a large-scale, continuous moving-image installation, presented on a wall-mounted display or as a floor-to-ceiling projection.
The viewer encounters the ocean from a fixed position at the water's edge. The image responds in real time to changing environmental conditions in Vanuatu, unfolding independently of the viewer.
The work is complete. Its next stage is adaptation to a specific exhibition space, with the scale, display technology, and spatial configuration determined in collaboration with the presenting institution.
