Virtual Landscapes started as an experiment. My initial idea was to explore the transformation of a natural element through different photographic techniques. In the colour darkroom, I captured ice cubes melting using an enlarger and photographic paper. I wanted to explore the materiality of photography in its purest form using only light and a photosensitive support. Afterwards, I scanned the photographs and manipulated them using 3D software. When I saw the outcomes they reminded me of the Earth View from Google Earth extension, which appear every time I open a new tab in Chrome. When I first installed it, I spent a lot of time opening new tabs just to see the images presented. Sometimes they’re so abstract, they actually look like paintings. There’s a certain poetry in the fact that my images look like digital landscapes when they’re simply ice cubes melting.

Virtual Landscapes was part of  Temperature Check: Body of Evidence at MACLA (Movimiento de Arte y Cultura Latinoamericana) in San José, California.  The exhibition featured the work of Latino artists exploring the artifacts and patterns of climate change through installation, drawing, video and photography. The exhibition also included a platform for education and exchange with the local community through a series of public programs including guest speakers, panel discussions and family programs to further strategies for discussion and action around issues of sustainability.