You Only Look Once . After Nature Prize 25

In her new project, British artist Lisa Barnard considers perception in relation to both human and machine experience. She addresses the complexity of technological progress and the ecological resources on which its promises depend. Barnard’s research focuses on California and takes her to places including the Salton Sea, the Sacramento area, and the streets of San Francisco. Inspired by the echolocation of bats, she looks at how sensory data is translated into machine action—and how artificial intelligence learning programs such as “You Only Look Once” change our own perception and view of the world. At a time when the climate is in crisis, she raises the question of how technologies can be developed that are not only efficient but also sensitive to the world they are intended to capture.