Claire Trout

STRATOSYNC

Parafiction, Geo-Engineering, Aesthetics of Doubt, Speculative Realism, Alternative Realities

Stratosync is a conceptual, exhibition-style undertaking that envisions the urban landscape of Los Angeles transformed by the repercussions of an extensive geo-engineering endeavor. Operating as a parafictional thesis, this project actively engages with the realm of constructed narratives to produce alternative and plausible realities through a multimedia experience. As aptly articulated by Carrie Lambert-Beatty, its aim is to “peel a possibility away from the surface of the way things are.” Central to its demonstration is the utilization of Stratospheric Aerosol Injection technology, a mechanism that disperses aerosols like quartz into the upper atmosphere. Through this technological premise, Stratosync delves into the multifaceted repercussions of a large-scale geo-engineering initiative, dissecting its implications across various scopes and through a variety of interactive elements.

Positioned within a politicized and juxtaposed aesthetic framework, Stratosync subverts the conventions of realism, bending and distorting them to evoke skepticism about the presented factualness. Commencing from a basis in reality, it meticulously engineers spaces to provoke contemplation regarding alternative trajectories for the world's potential configurations. Specifically, it extrapolates the transformed vista of Los Angeles within the context of a changed climatic reality, a projection inspired by the city's present climate crisis and the growing viability of geo-engineering undertakings. This thesis endeavors to delve into the intricate interactions linking the climate with both human and nonhuman existences.

The historical backdrop of the Los Angeles River, once a thriving wetland ecosystem, forms a poignant reference point. Its near-obliteration in the 1930s, culminating from the river's confinement within concrete following a sequence of catastrophic floods, serves as an emblematic instance of human intervention reshaping nature. In Stratosync's speculative narrative, the cityscape metamorphoses into a verdant jungle-like expanse, while skies are adorned with rosy-hued cumulus clouds. Los Angeles' characteristic Mediterranean climate undergoes a radical transformation, yielding to a tropical monsoon climate. This rejuvenation of wetlands and the realization of a sky augmented by solar engineering herald a radical reconfiguration of the urban milieu.

Above and beyond its imaginative construct, Stratosync assumes a role of elucidation, systematically unearthing concealed dynamics that orchestrate curated visual appearances. At the crux of this endeavor lies the estrangement of realism through the lens of doubt. This narrative prompts critical introspection: What occurs when the aesthetics grounding our familiar reality are perturbed? How does doubt itself attain aesthetic significance? It is through these interrogations that the project cultivates avenues for action and fosters the emergence of plausible yet previously unexplored realities. In essence, Stratosync embodies the ethos of speculative realism, proactively navigating the confluence of aesthetics, uncertainty, and transformative potentialities.

Poster