System features
Art & Science Puzzle
This project explores the boundaries between art and science, building interdisciplinary collaboration through an interactive, multi-media puzzle, exploring phytoplankton as a subject of investigation and discovery.
Modular Design
Oceanic Scales is modular in design including options for a full or partial interactive installation, a smaller / portable touch screen version and a mobile app version designed for elementary school students and teachers.
Sustainable Materials
There’s no point in making a project about ocean health if it’s made from toxic materials that will end up in our rivers and oceans. Oceanic Scales is made from biodegradable materials such as Bamboo Plywood, Cast Pine Resin, PLA based 3D prints, Recycled Cardboard & Natural Latex Rubber to name a few.
App & Educational Game
One of the newest additions to the Oceanic Scales system, is an Ipad based app and gaming system designed for 2nd through 4th grade students, including lesson plans for teachers, following national science and core curriculum standards
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Oceanic Scales Updates
Oceanic Scales at the MOXI – Santa Barbara CA
Oceanic Scales was featured as a part of the Algae Society exhibition at the MOXI / The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation in Santa Barbara (California) from April through July 2019. The Algae Society: Bio Art Design Lab celebrates algae as an unsung hero of the planet and invites guests to learn about how[…]
A mobile deployment system for Oceanic Scales
The Mobile Coaction Lab (MCL) is coming along nicely, thanks to the hard work of IMFA graduate student Reed Hayden and his wide range of wood craft and boat building experience. We’ve built the entire lab from native Maine fir and cedar, on top of an aluminum frame, to keep it light. We’re getting ready to take[…]
Oceanic Scales at the Randall Children’s Museum
We had a great time setting up the newest evolution of Oceanic Scales last week at the Randall Children’s Museum. A special thanks goes out to Leslie Thompson & James Shedel for their continued dedication to the project and to Susan Working for making this all possible at the Randall. We can’t wait for the museum[…]
Oceanic Scales at the Randall Children’s museum in San Francisco – Summer / Fall / Winter 2017-18
We’re very excited to be installing Oceanic Scales at the Randall Children’s museum in San Francisco this Summer for a 6-month show of the newest evolution of the project in conjunction with the grand re-opening of the museum after an extensive renovation. This newest variation of the project includes a new set of wall and[…]
Oceanic Scales at the MAH Glow Festival in Santa Cruz, CA
We had a great time setting up the latest evolution of Oceanic Scales at the Museum of Art & History in Santa Cruz California for the month of October, leading up to their annual GLOW festival. This installation featured our second outcropping form set up in the middle of the space and home to a new[…]
Oceanic Scales Puzzle Game / App Beta Testing at Weatherbee Elementary
We had the opportunity last month to beta test our new Oceanic Scales puzzle game and app system with the 4th grade class of the Weatherbee Elementary School in Hampden, Maine. Chynna Avery Felice, the creator of the Oceanic Scales lesson plans invited her partner Gene A. Felice II, co-creator of the Oceanic Scales puzzle game[…]
Oceanic Scales @ the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History Oct. 3rd > 23rd 2016
We’re happy to announce that a newly updated iteration of Oceanic Scales will be on display a the Santa Cruz Museum of Art & History from October 3rd through the 23rd 2016. We’ll be setting up the full installation in the main atrium of the museum and look forward to working with the MAH staff[…]
Maine Sea Grant to fund final production of Oceanic Scales app system
Oceanic Scales has recently received a generous grant from the Maine Sea Grant to fund the final production of our App system. With this grant we’ve hired on two new student developer / animators to assist with the final development of the initial app system. New Media student Aidan Bauer and Computer Engineering student Jack Britton have[…]
Epsilon Data Alliance Grant for Oceanic Scales App System
Alliance Data & EPSILON awarded a generous Community Outreach Grant to Oceanic Scales, funding the completion of an educational app version of the project that also serves as an augmented reality system to help reveal hidden layers of the Oceanic Scales interactive puzzle. They also donated an array of designers and app developers to design the app and gaming[…]
Oceanic Scales prototype overview Video
Here’s a wonderful overview video of Oceanic Scales that was produced from the UCSC DANM program, during my time as one of their graduate students, where Oceanic Scales began as a part of my thesis work.
Water World: Artist Talks at Alter Space / SOMA – This Sat. 2pm
Featuring exhibiting artists Jeff Ray, Mary Franck and Kadet Kuhne, Jean Tarantino and Gene A. Felice II Water World is an immersive multi-media exhibition at Alter Space Gallery that takes viewers on a journey through environments that posits our physical state of water and into our deep consciousness that reflect our relationships with water. The artists[…]
Oceanic Scales at Soundwave festival – Alterspace / SOMA district – Opening July 26th
We were proud to be show Oceanic Scales as a part of the Soundwave Festival in San Francisco at Alterspace in the SOMA district, during August and September of 2014. Here’s a link to more details: http://www.soundwavesf.com/6/july26/ Project creator Gene Felice also presented Oceanic Scales at an artist talk on Saturday, August 2nd. Here’s a link for more[…]
Oceanic Scales @ Soundwave ((6)) WATER – Cal Academy – Thursday, July 10th
The Oceanic Scales & Openlab teams were very excited to be participating this year in in Soundwave ((6)) WATER, opening with a sneak preview at the Cal Academy this Thursday evening, July 10th from 6 to 10pm. We set up in the African Safari hall, right across from the Penguins display. Here are some photos of[…]
Oceanic Scales at the Santa Cruz Wharf
We had an amazing day on Saturday as a part of the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Celebration. It was a beautiful day to be 1/2 a mile out into the bay, right above the Sea Lions, Whales and Otters. The Oceanic Scales team was in full force with everyone pitching in to make this special showing[…]
Oceanic Scales @ the Monterey Bay Sanctuary Celebration – Sat. May 17th – 11am to 10pm
Oceanic Scales will be featured at the Monterey Bay Sanctuary, this Saturday May 17th on the end of the Santa Cruz wharf, just above the Sea Lions. We’ll be there from 11am to 10pm with an official lighting of the installation happening at 5pm when day light begins to fade to dusk. We couldn’t think of[…]
Oceanic Scales at the DANM 2014 MFA Thesis Show
Here are some initial images from the showing of Oceanic Scales at the DANM 2014 MFA Thesis show, in the Digital Art Research Center’s Light Lab space. So much thanks goes to the entire Oceanic Scales team that put all their hard work and creativity into making this show possible! This first gallery of photos[…]
Full Scale outcropping with Succulents
We finished up our first full scale Outcropping made from recycled cardboard and bamboo plywood this past week and also installed our spagnum moss walls planted with native succulents, Dudleya Caspitosa on it’s back. Here are a few pictures of the process as we laid it all out and put it together including some of[…]
Oceanic Scales new configuration
This is the newest configuration of Oceanic Scales, with our “Outcroppings” style, three part installation + central control column. This new design is inspired by Frank Gehry’s easy edge furniture, combined with modern methods for slicing 3D forms via laser cutting. These 3D visualizations illustrate how we are planning to set up the debut installation[…]
Native Succulents are growing and attaching…
Our native species of succulents, Dudleya Caespitosa otherwise known as Sea Lettuce, is doing well on the rooftop garden of the UCSC greenhouse. Jim Velzy has been taking good care of them for us as we prepare the final living wall structures. You can view our test succulent mesh below. So far they are rooting[…]
Elements complete, 20 diatoms to go…
We hit a milestone today as we have completed 120 element forms representing temperature, nutrients and PH of our oceans. We’ve also completed 70 of our 85 diatoms forms. All these forms are made from either Pine Resin or PLA 3D print filament. Both are industrially compostable materials that decompose at high temperatures. It was[…]
