co2air
Marc Simon Frei, Altdorf
Air is invisible. Yet its quality – CO₂ levels, humidity, temperature – affects us constantly. Most of the time, we are unaware of these influences unless they become uncomfortable. With CO2Meter, I aim to translate what usually remains unseen, unheard, and unfelt into something tangible and perceivable.
This work combines technical measurement with an artistic perspective: sensor data, log files, diagrams, and graphic representations are placed in dialogue with physical objects and installations. The documents – measurement protocols, visualizations, technical specifications – are not just supplementary material, but integral parts of the artwork itself. They reveal the inner workings, the methods, and the fragile boundary between science and perception.
Each document, each curve, each chart tells a story — about air cycles, daily rhythms, and the interplay between people and the spaces they inhabit. When a room fills with voices, CO₂ levels rise; when windows are opened, they fall. These fluctuations, usually imperceptible in everyday life, become visible, and through visibility, experienceable.
The series asks: How consciously do we live with our environment? When confronted with data that makes the invisible visible, do our habits change? Air is something we take for granted — CO2Meter reminds us that it shapes our well-being, our concentration, even our moods.
In the end, CO2Meter is more than a collection of numbers and graphs. It is a call for heightened sensitivity — to the air we breathe, the spaces we inhabit, and the responsibility we share for both.
