Ambisonic sound by Martin Rieger/VRTonung

Created for DiMoDA 4.0 virtual VR museum, curated by Christiane Paul

Atmos Sphaerae is a deep time meditation on the changing elemental composition of the atmosphere of the planet Earth. It uses the poetic beauty of the scientific notation "Lewis structures“ to make visible the atomic composition of the normally invisible molecules in the atmosphere visible. It takes the viewer from the pre Big Bang VOID through the proto-planetary gases, to the life-giving water, the Great Oxygenation Event triggered by photosynthesizing cyanobacteria, to the runaway greenhouse triggered by humans‘ voracious appetite for fossil fuels.

1) VOID

In the Beginning was the Void. The Void is nothing. Void returns nothing.

2) Protoplanetary Gas Disk

For millions of years, we were nothing but planetary embryos of stardust and interstellar ice.

3) Lava Ocean, Volcanic Planet

When Mother Earth arose, she was a seething volcanic ocean.

4)

We became the Blue Planet, from outgassing of H2O - water - and interstellar ice.

5) Cyanobacteria

Life arose, cyanobacteria began to photosynthesize, and O2 - oxygen - flooded the atmosphere.

6) Oil Fields

Life ends in death, ; the dead liquify to fuel, humans, learned to set their energy-free again.

7) Runaway Greenhouse

Long before we burn all the fossil fuel on the planet, Mother Earth will begin to cleanse herself of our presence. The Great Purification has begun. To Nothing, we will return.