and naked-eye sky-earth observatory located on a 68-acre property in the Hudson Valley (New York, US): a place designed to create awareness of where we are in space and time.
The landscape embodies mathematical theories of the universe by mapping geometric shapes and numerical series to human-made ephemeral interventions on the natural site. Each human-made intervention is related to celestial events, visible from above by aerial and satellite imagery as well as experienced by the observer/participant by walking or static observations. Drawn from cosmology, observational astronomy, philosophy and merging digital worlds with physical places, S.U.N.F.A.R.M. consists of excavated earthworks, large scale environments and above ground constructions: time and the sun’s daily path are represented, literally and metaphorically, by two spirals connected by a ¾ mile long axis. Interventions in the landscape include three-dimensional frames above ground and paths functioning as built azimuths and sundials; both types of construction are aligned to the sun and other celestial objects. Several narratives are involved: ideation concepts are expressed in writings and diagrams, representations and digital models, images generating deep maps of the place; digital models and animations are designed to be integrated with the real physical environment in Augmented Reality (AR) experiences. Astronomical diagrams, charts, time lapse photographs and videos are not only documentation and presentation tools but also enhance the perception of the artworks. where the human body is integrated in the landscape, both as agency of perception as well as human-made transformation of the natural environment. Movement is another implicit component in the perception of the project from the movement of outside celestial bodies—sun, moon and stars in the night sky—to the perceiver, moving around frames and stepping on paths. The natural landscape evolves as a geometric time-based configuration, based on a mathematical theory of the universe, promoting production of knowledge by the interconnectedness between human activities and natural transformations. landscape and spirituality as human body alignment to solar alignments, establishing a connection between body-earth-sky.