Lecture
Thursday 30 November 2023
Quadrature
From Sputnik to Starlink: Why we should talk about satellites with Quadrature
Satellites are used for almost all modern achievements, from communication or navigation systems to environmental monitoring and military purposes. In 2021, there was an estimated total of 4,877 active satellites orbiting the Earth, an increase from 3,291 active satellites in 2020.
Despite their overall application, we hardly notice their existence. From earth they are visible only in the rare case that they are in the perfect angle to reflect the sun. All necessary data about the positions and paths of (most) satellites is publicly available, as it is crucial for determining free spots for new satellites. The lecture will dive into the topic of this rather new layer of infrastructure, its meaning for our technology driven society and the recent exponential increase in satellite launches.
Despite their overall application, we hardly notice their existence. From earth they are visible only in the rare case that they are in the perfect angle to reflect the sun. All necessary data about the positions and paths of (most) satellites is publicly available, as it is crucial for determining free spots for new satellites. The lecture will dive into the topic of this rather new layer of infrastructure, its meaning for our technology driven society and the recent exponential increase in satellite launches.
About Quadrature
Quadrature uses technology as a means to read and write realities, using data as the primary artistic material. The Berlin-based artists use transdisciplinary media to create artworks that not only capture the intersection between art and science, but also the convergence of digital and analog. The two members of the group, Juliane Götz and Sebastian Neitsch, met during their studies, in 2015 they started their artistic collaboration. Their work is shown worldwide in various museums, galleries and festivals.
