It’s a pretty sight. Lines of light, perfectly drawn across homes and mountains using LED lights, dividing the world into above and below. It only becomes terrifying when you learn what those lines represent: What could eventually be underwater as ocean levels rise, based on current scientific estimates.
Located at one of the Outer Hebrides, a group of islands off the west coast of Scotland, Lines is a collaboration between Finnish artists Pekka Niittyvirta and Timo Aho.
As Niittyvirta and Aho told me via email, they started the project by reflecting on the location of seaside communities–a topic that quickly developed into discussing climate change and rising tides. They developed the idea working remotely through long Skype conversations, with Aho in Scotland and Niittyvirta from Finland.
Of course, we don’t know for sure how much the oceans will rise for sure. Rather, Lines illustrates an estimate of an undefined period of time, based on a variety of current studies. It’s a powerful visualization, though. Perhaps coastal cities around the world could hire the artists to re-create the installation–showing people what their homes and favorite places will look like in just a few decades–and prompt some change.