Aaron Dysart

2021

Nylon tubes, fans, lights, and computer

Latitude uses data collected by meteorological sensors on eddy covariance flux towers set up across the globe to measure atmospheric conditions like temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels. With their numbers increasing every year, these sites are linked across regional networks that contribute their data findings to global networks, including FLUXNET, ensuring that atmospheric data is accessible to the scientific community and the public worldwide.

Each swaying nylon cylinder represents the flow of carbon between the ground and atmosphere at an exact location on the planet. For several decades now, climate scientists have gathered data to understand how the carbon cycle differs from one region to the next. As the rate of carbon transmission into the atmosphere at each location increases, the light in the column of air will turn to a warmer color spectrum; as the ecosystem collects more carbon, the light will turn a cooler hue. In this exhibition, three seconds equaled one day of data, with the whole show starting at 9 a.m., noon, 3 and 6 p.m.

2021

Root ball, mirrors, and motor

Salvaged rootball with mirrors on the end of each root which projected stars onto the gallery walls. It spun at one revolution per hour.

2021

We often overlook the loveliness of carbon dioxide bubbles drifting up the sides of a pint glass gathering to head. On one hand it is just a byproduct of a yeast cell, but on the other hand it is a refreshing moment and beer just doesn’t taste right without it.

Byproduct used this visual language of carbonation to speak to research being conducted at Fulton’s brewery, the colorful ‘bubbles’ on the facade celebrate the continuing push to make the world a better place. In natural systems, waste equals food; more specifically, in a natural system the byproducts of one organism are useful for another. Humans also create waste that other organisms can use, though to make sure that this happens, more thoughtful engineering is needed to bring us closer to the systems found in nature.

Manufacturing creates waste and brewing beer is no different. Not only does brewing generate a high volume of wastewater, this wastewater is also full of carbon containing compounds that require a lot of energy to treat using standard technology.

There are other treatment options however, that operate differently, using bacteria to make energy during the treatment of this wastewater instead of using energy. Novak and her team are working on the development of a new type of treatment technology that makes energy (methane) and removes carbon-containing compounds at small to mid-size industries like Fulton Brewing. The team compared the performance of this new technology to an existing system that works well but is high-maintenance, energy intensive, and expensive to use, by setting the two systems up side-by-side at the Fulton Brewery.

Byproduct sought to present some of Novak’s data in a new light as she and her team works with Fulton to test out this scalable process that would allow them to treat their wastewater onsite while making energy it can use at their brewery. There were two colorful shows that last 12 minutes each and are separated by 3 minutes of white light.

The first show started on the hour and half hour, comparing the amount of usable gas that each method produced. On the right was the current energy intensive treatment option and on the left was be the data from Novak’s experiment at Fulton’s brewery.

The second show started 15 minutes after the hour and half hour, showing the reduction of carbon containing compounds for both methods. On the right was the current energy intensive option and on the left was the data from Novak’s experiment at Fulton’s brewery.

Fabrication Consultant: Ben Amel

Programmer: Aaron Heidgerken-Greene

Scientific Team: Paige Novak, Bill Arnold, Natasha Wright, Kuang Zhu, and Siming Chen

Byproduct is funded by a McKnight Project Grant through Forecast Public Art, and a MnDRIVE: Environment Demonstration Grant through the University of Minnesota in addition to the Minnesota Water Stewards program through Freshwater

2016

Living Ponderosa Pine installed through a wall. 

Installation shots from SITElines.2016: New Perspectives on Art of the Americas , much wider than a line (July 16, 2016 - Jan. 8, 2017), Courtesy of SITE Santa Fe, Photo: Eric Swanson.

Shown with Preserve #1 and #2

2016

A project in collaboration with Alyssa Baguss, Sun Spot brought together the Mississippi river, the St. Paul Eco District, and solar energy.  The installation featured a 15-foot long bench in the shape of an aerial view of the Mississippi flowing through Saint Paul and accompanying solar array.  The bench was connected to a pyranometer that collected solar activity data throughout the day. At night the bench’s color reflected the solar activity collected through that day. The bench was lit up from dusk until dawn, showing the sun's impact on the earth for the past twelve hours.

Sunspot was part of the Saint Paul Riverfront Balcony Prototyping Festival in partnership with District Energy Saint Paul and the Science Museum of Minnesota.

2016

Utilizing bathymetric data collected by the Mississippi Watershed Management Organization, Watershed presents an ice casting of the Mississippi river bottom as a temporary mountain range. The length and width of the river are proportionally accurate, though the depth has been magnified by a power of ten to highlight the terrain of the river bottom.

The unseen valley that usually lies under the surface appears as a mountain range. Water becomes land, material becomes object, and flux becomes static. As the day progresses and the sculpture turns back into water, our desire for permanence and categorization is laid bare. The viewer is left to comprehend the system as the water travels back to the river.

This sculpture was made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

2015-2016

Using data from NASA’s Solar Dynamic Observatory, Solar System presented an ever-changing light show on the steam plume of District Energy's biomass co-generation plant. As spots and storms ebb and flow on the sun (the “power plant” at the center of our solar system), color-changing flood lights inside the steam plume shifted and dimmed in real time. The dynamic nature of our ultimate source of energy was thus tied to downtown Saint Paul.  Solar System was sponsored by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Minnesota.

Artist Lead:  Aaron Dysart

Technology designer: Max Hoaglund

Lighting Designer: Kyle Waites

Solar System was part of the Plume Project which was a series of lighting experiments on Saint Paul’s downtown steam plume, lead by artists Aaron Dysart, Emily Stover, and Asia Ward in partnership with the District Energy Saint Paul plant. Three temporary projects occurred over the winter of 2015 and 2016, was supported by the Knight Foundation, District Energy St. Paul, Saint Paul Riverfront Corporation, Blue Cross, Blue Shield, and St. Paul College.

2014

Red Alder, existing room. 

2014

An installation in the Regis Fountain Court at the Minneapolis Institute of Art. When unoccupied the room was normally illuminated with a mirrored ball suspended ball in the center of the space.  When someone entered the room, a sensor turned the ambient lights off, while the spotlights turned on instantly bathing the entire space in a spectacular light show.  When the viewer left the space, the room returned to normal. 

2013

During a residency on a cattle farm in southeastern Minnesota I was severely injured in a livestock accident.  To show I had no hard feelings I baked a cake for the cows that injured me.

During this residency I also threw a party for animals by hanging a mirrored ball over a cow pasture and a trout stream.

This activity is made possible by the voters of Minnesota through a grant from the Minnesota State Arts Board, thanks to a legislative appropriation from the arts and cultural heritage fund.

2012

A party for a 70' tall maple tree on the grounds of the Minneapolis Institute of Art.  Five motorized mirrored balls were hung in its crown and lit with pinspots to throw a grand party.

2011

Viewers were asked to help save a tree.  Participants were handed a live branch, blindfolded and spun three times.  They then walked forward and hammered their branch to the spot they found.

2011

In an effort to clean up the Mississippi River, a rowboat was cast out of 600lbs of soap and rowed in the river in the shadow the Minneapolis skyline.