Tech Project
Description of the challenges faced by the Tech Project
This H2020 project engages thousands of growers, scientists and others passionate about the land. Their objective is to discover together, using simple tools on how to better manage soil and grow food, while contributing to vital scientific environmental monitoring. The GROW project holds the entire global stock of the Parrot ‘Flower Power’ sensor, a high powered consumer soil sensor distributed through the project. Data from these are published on the GROW API.
Brief description of technology
The GROW project holds the entire global stock of the Parrot ‘Flower Power’ sensor, a high powered consumer soil sensor distributed through the project. Data from these are published on the GROW API. • GROW holds a database of soil moisture and other environmental, land and social data from across Europe. The data includes time series information locked with geographical grid data giving the artist access to a rich and constantly updated source of information. The huge amount of data in the GROW database make understanding patterns and trends challenging for scientists and the public alike. Data from the platform is available through an API giving artists a simple way to integrate data in their projects. • GROW is part of a GEO community activity linked to Global Earth Observation System of Systems (GEOSS) enabling the artist to combine data from the GROW API with GEOSS, Sentinel-1 and other satellite publically available data. • The GROW Collaboration Hub is a social platform to build communities of citizens, scientists and policy makers through storytelling, immersive experience and citizen science. • The Thingful search engine for the Internet of Things is closely aligned to GROW and gives access to any publicly open sensor or IoT entity.
What the project is looking to gain from the collaboration and what kind of artist would be suitable
The project is looking for a collaborative relationship with an artist who can bring artistic curiosity and enquiry around project themes, science, technology and data, and translate concepts and data into experiences or tangible form. How the project can benefit: • Offer imaginative ways to engage the public in envisioning the future of soils, growing, satellites, sensing and citizen science. • Illuminate how Citizens' Observatories can become a central, creative and deeply meaningful part of everyday living. • Help to question and explore the meaning and relevance of scientific information. • Contribute to devising novel forms of engagement and participation in the science, data and activities, and to community building and sustainability. • Bridge and translate between the concerns and language of scientists, citizens and policymakers. We are looking for a creator who, through their work, is opening up new dimensions and forging new visions of the role of technology in the future of society.
Resources available to the artist
The artist will have access to • Parrot ‘Flower Power’ sensors • GROW Platform • Open APIs and Data • GROW Collaboration Hub – social platforms and visualisation tools • Soil Testing Kit, Land Survey Kit • Citizen science materials and resources • Maker space • Visual materials, branding assets • Design toolkits and materials • Community Champions network • Citizen journalists and editorial team • Curatorial support through project partners • An artist flat at Dundee Contemporary Arts in Dundee (at cost to project) • An office facility co-located with the main GROW team based in Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, University of Dundee • Internet connection • Administrative and IT support networks