Information

A Walk-In Video Installation

Camera traps with motion triggers make it possible to observe animals in the wild without influencing their behaviour or resorting to invasive means such as collars or ear tags. But the technique generates huge amounts of data – the evaluation of which is very time-consuming. Artificial intelligence is being called in to help, with more and more research teams using machine learning to speed up image analysis. The video installation Triggered by Motion documents this process. Using camera trap data from 21 locations in 14 countries, we built a walk-in pavilion where visitors can immerse themselves in the natural environment of wildlife and experience local biodiversity.

The exhibition format and research network Triggered by Motion emerged at the University of Zurich. In cooperation with the network swissnex/EDA, the exhibition has gained global recognition and been featured at the Museum für Gestaltung (Zurich, Switzerland), the DongdaeMun Design Plaza (Seoul, South Korea) and the Swiss National Park Museum (Zernez, Switzerland). Additionally, it will be heading to the Science Gallery Bengaluru (Bengaluru, India), the Museum of Contemporary Art Shanghai (Shanghai, China) as well as the Forte di Bard (Aosta Valley, Italy).

Triggered by Motion‘s goal is to promote a dialogue between research and conservation projects and the interested public. After all, although the future of digital conservation looks promising, conservation projects only work if they enjoy support beyond expert circles. 

Collaborators

The installation was made possible by the Swissnex Network, Mercator Foundation Switzerland and the Digitalization Initiative of the Canton of Zurich (DIZH). With thanks to Impact Acoustic for producing the pavilion out of upcycled PET.