This work was created as a response to a project brief on the theme of the Overview Effect, a shift in awareness experienced by some astronauts while viewing Earth from space, that reveals our planet as a whole, evoking a transcendence of borders and divisions, and the fragile unity of our planet. The proposal entailed creating an experience to accompany passengers aboard a touristic space balloon.

Our proposal was based on the idea of ascension: inviting users to a guided meditation in the hopes that it may be an alternative path to the awareness shift of the overview effect.

We utilized wind data from the NASA weather event platform to provide a breathing guide, inviting spectators to sync with the rythms of the earth. We aimed for a sense of harmony through the peaceful visuals and atmosphere, but we knew we eventually wanted to break that spell. It seemed to us like the peacefulnes one might experience in a sub-orbital flight is illusory. The reality of the data -what’s going on- in much more unstable. But we thought it was not enough simply to highlight the discrepancy, but wanted a process which would embed in the passenger a tangible understanding, extend their senses to grasp the disruption. The breathing exercise allowed us to help spectators embody the rhythms and disruptions of the earth.

Most important to us was to craft a journey, a narrative that would communicate the unstable and precarious state of the globe at this juncture.