Magna Mutatio / N arrationem
Magna Mutacio is the title of a series of works that explore the transformation of a selected territory over time, specifically the transformation of cities, landscapes, bodies of water and glacial formations. European Space Agency satellite data are used for this analysis. The transformation of the territory is mapped, which, given its size and the long period of observation, could not be perceived from the viewer's perspective. The work thus offers a macro view of the subject.
The short film Magna Mutatio / Narrationem functions as a narrative extension of the physical work Magna Mutatio, a generative graphic that depicts, through its code, the changes in water quality in the Tajo River over a period of six years. The Teja riverbed passes through Lisbon and then empties into the Atlantic Ocean, where Ursa Beach, the imaginary setting for the narrative of Magna Mutatio, is located north of Cabo da Roca. The beach, representing the physical world, is re-created in digital form, allowing the generative graphic to return to its original environment - the virtual world. The work is developed and transformed over time through a specifically designed algorithm and travels through the digitized landscape. The voice over also comes from the virtual world, a synthetic voice reflects on the overlap of the work and its possible future direction, and these reflections are further generated on the basis of human input by artificial intelligence, a tool also natural to the digital environment:"The name of the concept Magna Mutatio is reflected in a series of artworks whose main theme is the observation of the transformation of a place in the long term. To this end, Magna Mutatio uses a generative algorithm to depict the transformation of waterways, landscapes and cities over time. For this analysis, Magna Mutatio uses satellite data mapping the relevant areas. Datasets provided by the ESA space agency reveal the landscape in both the radar and infrared spectrum. This allows Magna Mutatio to map in detail the transformations of a given place over time and then present it in the form of generative images, 3D printed objects and light installations. These visually guide the viewer and show them the story of the place Magna Mutatio is exploring. The mass of the earth becomes the medium that Magna Mutatio mixes with the data stream. Through this new perspective, the work communicates its language of generative prediction and algorithmic visualization of a reality that is constantly changing - just like the world around us.
In this series of works by Magna Mutatio, the viewer can follow the transformation of the water of the Tajo River flowing through Lisbon over a period of six years. By observing the different ways in which the water behaves over time, Magna Mutatio reveals its form, showing the moments of transformation of both water and land and places, the different shapes of the bodies of water, the movement of the water and the appearance of the landscape, which are all part of the story and which the artist uses this video to tell.
Magna Mutatio creates generative works that work on multiple levels. They tell the story of the territory they represent, the history of the place, its changes and evolution over time. In these works, Magna Mutatio also engages in a dialogue between art and science. Science is the language of nature, a language that Magna Mutatio is able to interpret and communicate through the language of generative algorithms. Art is the language of culture, a language that Magna Mutatio can interpret and communicate through the artwork.
The generative work Magna Mutatio creates a dialogue between science and art, telling the stories of the places it visits, of nature and of the people living in the place. The data from the places it presents is information about the world. Its task is to convey stories through artistic language. Space, place and time are the three levels of these stories.
The world is changing. The pace is accelerating. Everything is becoming more complex. In this increasingly complex world, Magna Mutatio reveals the secrets of nature, history, change and evolution over time. Magna Mutatio's artwork is a way of communicating, a way of telling stories about the places where we live."
