Nebulous Narratives
Investigación, Arte, Participación
Nubes
Antonia Valencia
Nebulous Narratives seeks to navigate the dimensions of knowledge, practice, and power through the creation of an unconventional dataset, reimagining the role data plays in our interaction with the environment through a series of participatory and creative workshops that act as a vessel to encoding people’s narratives and creative reinterpretations of Nature. The project locates its focus on the ephemeral and often unpredictable movements of clouds as a case study, a domain where Nature’s vastness eludes the tight grasp of human control, presenting an opportunity to re-envision data representation and reinterpretation, where humans are almost always just recipients and not manipulators of the Natural.
In an era where datafication dominates, traditional empirical methods in environmental data collection often overlook the rich tapestry of individual and collective narratives in our relationship with Nature. Inspired by Jennifer Gabrys’s concept of “data stories,” this research aims to question and redefine this approach, placing value on cultural knowledge as an information source and addressing ecological complexity. The project seeks to answer: How can alternative data-gathering methods redefine individual and collective narratives of Nature through cloud imaginaries?
“Nebulous Narratives” progresses through four interconnected stages: Alternative Data Gathering, Redefinition, Encoding Imaginaries, and Outcome. Central to its methodology is the exploration of unconventional data points through a research-based art approach. The development of 3 participatory workshops allowed for the creation of diverse personal and communal narratives on clouds as a case study, that would then be displayed in a digital platform.
The project’s multifaceted results emphasise the importance of process and iteration. The outputs go beyond the generation of an unconventional database of cloud imaginaries, adding a profound layer to our understanding of the relationship with Nature and data. This is presented as a collective digital garden in an interactive platform presenting a rich tapestry of narratives and interpretations. The culmination is a future interactive installation, offering an immersive experience that deepens participant engagement and understanding of nature.
Transcending traditional data interpretation, “Nebulous Narratives” champions creativity and collective storytelling as powerful tools for environmental understanding. It unveils diverse human-nature relationships, fostering a more profound, inclusive engagement with environmental data. This project advocates for the reimagination of environmental challenges and a shift towards emphasising collaboration and coexistence over domination and exploitation.
Sintropía Urbana
04.04.25 - 15.11.25
