Pollution Booth goes Lab.30

In cooperation with the CleanBREATHE research project from the SPiRIT research group, the university project “awAIReness” of the Bachelor’s program in Industrial Design at Magdeburg-Stendal University of Applied Sciences took place during the winter semester of 2022/23. The focus of this project was to raise awareness about air pollution in public urban spaces. As a continuation of this project, students Ide Willenius and Mariele Goeldner traveled to Augsburg to present their exhibit “Pollution Booth” at the Lab.30 festival. The Pollution Booth is a newly designed photo booth that visualizes air pollution, specifically the particulate matter content in the air (PM10). Like a traditional “Photo Booth,” the process begins by pressing the start button, followed by holding one’s breath for a few seconds. The resulting photo shows two versions: one unaltered and one with a “confetti” filter, where each particle in the filter represents one microgram per cubic meter (μg/m3) of particulate matter (PM10). The general rule is: the less visible the photo subject, the worse the air quality at the specified air monitoring station.

Lab.30 is an international festival of media art. This year, a wide range of international artists gathered under the theme “Transform.” In addition to exhibits, visitors were also offered workshops and performances. The exhibition at the abraxas cultural center was divided into several areas. The Pollution Booth was located in the largest exhibition room, alongside many other exciting exhibits, such as “Permanent Planting” by Hye Young Sin. Her interactive installation in the form of a permanent garden was awarded the Kids Choice Award. Visitors could also make music themselves in the foyer using the installation “The Jam.” Exhibits were also displayed in the basement and attic of the cultural center. The ballet hall was transformed into a goat pasture, where visitors could enjoy the atmosphere of an AI-generated folk opera surrounded by singing robotic goats. Both the theater hall of the abraxas and the St. Thaddäus Church offered a wide range of musical performances.

Over the four days, more than 1000 visitors had the opportunity to try out the Pollution Booth and gain insights into the current air data of Augsburg. The exhibition opened on Thursday, October 26, 2023, allowing visitors to freely explore the exhibition rooms during opening hours. Additionally, guided tours were offered daily. Saturday evening featured the award ceremony for the Audience Award, the Kids Choice Award, and the Lab Award. On Sunday, visitors had one last chance to enjoy the exhibition until the afternoon. “In addition to receiving a lot of positive feedback, we also received constructive criticism to further improve our project. The exchange of ideas with the experienced artists has been incredibly enriching. Through numerous conversations, we were able to gather many impressions and receive valuable input. We are very grateful for the experience. Thank you, Lab.30 team, for this unique opportunity.” Ide Willenius and Mariele Goeldner especially thank the SPiRIT research group for their support in the initial project creation as well as the financial implementation for the Lab.30 festival.