planetary overview

2017

Format 1: 202 x 132 cm / 79.5 x 52 in, edition of 6 + 2 AP
Format 2: 102 x 67 cm / 40.2 x 26.3 in, edition of 6 + 2 AP
Hybrid photography, archival pigment print, aludibond, diasec, custom-made aluminium frame

One important outcome of advanced space exploration is the appearance of a planetary overview system. The overview effect of seeing and feeling the unity of Earth is a meta-experience that was previously only accessible for astronauts. Today´s dramatically growing Earth-observation technologies intensify this effect and make it accessible to all of us. Yet this new way of measuring and visualizing the globe carries a stern ecological warning. Space exploration visions are not just focused outwards into space, they include the Earth as well. The dawning of a planetary overview system might intensify awareness of the ecological damage our planet is currently suffering. Advances in satellite technology, computer algorithms and processing power are now enabling scientists to expand their orbital observation of glacier regions. The goal is to understand how quickly glaciers and ice sheets melt – and thus how fast oceans rise – as temperatures increase.

The work “planetary overview” highlights observation of glacier change from space. Satellite observation has revolutionised glaciology by creating new ways to map large terrestrial landscapes. It has enabled glacier inventories of entire countries to be taken, and underpinned our understanding of glacier recession and advance; it helps us to map glacier snow cover and mass balance as well as to track changes in ice sheet thickness and ice flow velocities; and has also allowed detailed changes in remote locations to be monitored. By using a camera positioned in space we can observe glacier behaviour on a much larger scale. “planetary overview” combines images taken from inside a crevasse in Iceland´s Brei∂amerkurjökull glacier with several satellite images taken of the same glacier from an orbital position high in space. The work combines a micro- and macro-perspective, the inside view of the fragile glacier with the extreme distance view from outer space.

Imprint

Personally liable:
Michael Najjar

Design concept & coding: Matthias Hübner, possible.is
with support by Marco Land

Disclaimer
Accountability for content
The contents of our pages have been created with the utmost care. However, we cannot guarantee the contents' accuracy, completeness or topicality. According to statutory provisions, we are furthermore responsible for our own content on these web pages. In this context, please note that we are accordingly not obliged to monitor merely the transmitted or saved information of third parties, or investigate circumstances pointing to illegal activity. Our obligations to remove or block the use of information under generally applicable laws remain unaffected by this as per §§ 8 to 10 of the Telemedia Act (TMG).

Accountability for links
Responsibility for the content of external links (to web pages of third parties) lies solely with the operators of the linked pages. No violations were evident to us at the time of linking. Should any legal infringement become known to us, we will remove the respective link immediately.

Copyright
Our web pages and their contents are subject to German copyright law. Unless expressly permitted by law (§ 44a et seq. of the copyright law), every form of utilizing, reproducing or processing works subject to copyright protection on our web pages requires the prior consent of the respective owner of the rights. Unauthorized utilization of copyrighted works is punishable (§ 106 of the copyright law).

Our newsletter

With our newsletter we inform you about us and our offers and events, art fair participations and exhibitions in galleries, museums and art institutions. If you register for our newsletter, we will save your e-mail address, first name(s) and last name, as well as any information you choose to provide on a purely voluntary basis. If you do not wish to consent to this, you can unsubscribe by using the link at the end of every newsletter.

You can revoke your consent to the storage of your data, e-mail address and the use of your data to send the newsletter at any time. This revocation can be effected by notifying us: studio@michaelnajjar.com

In the course of the further development of our website, changes to this privacy policy may become necessary. We therefore recommend that you reread this data protection statement from time to time.