This project straddles the physical and virtual worlds

VR flythrough downtown Fort Lauderdale Florida USA

Simultaneously launched in Venice Italy and Fort Lauderdale USA, it creates a realtime portal between two cities on opposite sides of the globe facing the repercussions of unprecedented climate change.

Conceptually, this project evokes the datum line, the theoretical line of reference used to measure sea level by the rise and fall of the tides. It consists of two experiences - one real world, one virtual - fueled by a stream of climate data that produces near infinite variations of animations and digital constructions. Together they create a cinematic narrative of place and time. In Datum Line, the unceasing fluctuations of the profound forces underlying global sea level change are the creative energy that generate multi sensory immersive visuals.





Installation studies Venice Italy Time Space Existence
Formally, it recalls the fascination with science and mathematics that led to the birth of linear perspective in fifteenth century Italy. The experience begins inside an immersive field of forced perspective and a world created within an illusion of depth. But soon the fixed vanishing point shifts and the world is in flux.
Datum Line will evolve throughout the duration of the Time Space Existence exhibition. Driven by data streams, public interaction, and the ongoing rhythms of the planet, it imagines a new form of engagement, one that is fluid and responsive.
Like the cities it represents, the artwork is always changing

The concept for Datum Line is rooted in Narduli’s project Light Crossing, a series of bridge installations that translate the shifting tide levels of the New River running through downtown Fort Lauderdale into an interactive light experience. Datum Line presents a compelling model for a broader dialogue and exchange. It reimagines the enormity of climate change as a fundamental force that links all living things, not tied to country, politics, economics or social structure.
Immersive Installation Palazzo Mora Venice Italy
Datum Line
year: 2023
place: Palazzo Mora, Venice Italy
Datum Line is a window into our environment and a meditation on our place within it.
Datum Line is currently in development in collaboration with MAD Labs with the public opening as part of the 6th edition of TIME SPACE EXISTENCE in Venice, Italy from May 20th to November 26th, in parallel to La Biennale Architettura. Immersive installations, virtual environments and public forums in Venice and Fort Lauderdale will create a space for this critical exchange. Open-source VR platforms will allow for universal access.
CONCEPT AND PRODUCTION BY NARDULI STUDIO
MAD LABS: Media Collaboration / Production
EUROPEAN CULTURAL CENTRE: Exhibition Partner
EUROPEAN CULTURAL CENTRE and OpenSpaceVenice: Sponsors