Perceiving Planetarity: Computation, Climate and the Emergence of Envirographic Art

Abstract

This dissertation proposes the term envirographic art to denote a new branch of data-driven digital media that utilizes environmental data as an artistic medium to interrogate and communicate the complex realities of planetary ecologies and the climate crisis. Whereas the history of digital media has often overlooked environmental imperatives, envirographic art transforms imperceptible ecological phenomena into sensory experiences, making them accessible to a broader audience. Grounded in the historical evolution of climatology and computational media, and informed by theoretical frameworks such as planetarity and the holobiont concept (which both emphasize the interconnectedness of organisms and ecosystems), this research-creation inquiry outlines three core methodologies: (1) translating raw environmental data into visual, auditory, and tactile forms; (2) engaging the public through citizen science and participatory practices; and (3) fostering transdisciplinary collaborations between artists, scientists, and creative technologists. The proposed approach is exemplified through the presentation and analysis of six artworks developed by the author be-tween 2021 and 2025, which demonstrate how digital mediation can render complex ecological processes both visible and experientially engaging. The findings underscore envirographic art as a replicable frame-work for generating environmental dialogue and advocacy. Future research will extend these methods to projects addressing air pollution, interspecies communication, and soil health visualization, further exploring the potential of art to serve as an empirical interface for understanding and responding to planetary-scale challenges.