TANK WORLDS

Charles-Etienne Dery

Tank Worlds : Miniaturising the Gigantic
Disruptive Vitrines


Following thesis research, this piece reflects on the impact of cartographic, scientific, and artistic representations of territory.  Maps, vitrines, and landscape paintings represent an abstraction of environments in idealized ways. Yet, it is through the creation of these objects that we are capable of interpreting these very environments. The project proposes five acrylic vitrines, corresponding to the five main ecoregions of Canada, and sit upon CNC-milled topographic models. Each vitrine contains an iconic object; a digital artefact representing Canadians’ inherent geographic imagination of each ecoregion. The tank world acts as a tableau vivant, condensing entire worlds and juxtaposing scales, from the ecoregion to the icon. Finally, a series of experiments produce particulate clouds, disrupting the idealized environments through the ominous symbol of anthropogenic disturbances.   The juxtaposition between the icon and the cloud visualizes and speculates the future environments that may materialize. 

Vitrines - Front


Boreal Forest Vitrine


Marine Vitrine


Tundra Vitrine

Vitrines - Top


Grassland Vitrine


Temperate Forest Vitrine


Particle Experiment