2010 - 2015
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Blue Sky Day is a portrait of industrialization and climate change. The series documents 34 months of sky images taken from where I resided in Chaoyang District, Beijing, paired with daily air quality index (AQI) data. Each month is arranged in a calendar format, creating accidental color patterns. The sky’s color corresponds to AQI readings from China’s Ministry of Environmental Protection, with “Blue Sky Days” defined as an AQI of 100 or less.
The project explores the relationship between color in nature and environmental data, revealing patterns and ironies. It also serves as a collective portrait of a developing country navigating industrialization, similar to the transformations Europe and the U.S. experienced during their industrial revolutions.
More urgently, Blue Sky Day examines the impact of global consumption and unsustainable manufacturing, which drive pollution and climate change. Without systemic change, communities will increasingly face polluted skies, extreme weather, and displacement worldwide.
Blue Sky Day | December 2012 © CYJO
Blue Sky Day | January 2013 © CYJO
Blue Sky Day | December 2015 © CYJO
Englarged Section of Grid Portrait for Detail
January 2013 Data
Blue Sky Day © CYJO
Blue Sky Day © CYJO
Blue Sky Day was a multi-media installation at China Millenium Monument Museum of Digital Arts, Beijing. The viewer was confronted with floor to ceiling projections of the sky and Air Quality Index projections of that day taken from the Chinese Ministry of Environmental Protection. A ceiling mounted speaker projected a white noise that varied in volume, correlating to the Air Quality Index reading. Sound Engineer: Benoit Granier, 2012 © CYJO
China Millenium Monument Museum of Digital Arts, Beijing, 2012 © CYJO
China Millenium Monument Museum of Digital Arts, Beijing, 2012 © CYJO
