THE OVERVIEW EFFECT

UNTIL 11 MAY 2024

It’s hard to orientate ourselves in infinite time and space. When existential fear sets in, we retract, grounding ourselves in a more tangible world.

Material things help us cope with difficult questions, but we’re responsible for the effects that our reliance on them is having on the future habitability of our planet. Our encounters with nature are increasingly controlled and manufactured, yet we’re asked to imagine living life on the moon, on Mars, or in outer, distant destinations of the universe.  

THE OVERVIEW EFFECT is the term given to the cognitive shift experienced by some astronauts when viewing the Earth from space. They report unexpected emotions, an overwhelming sense of beauty, and an increased feeling of connection to other people and the Earth as a whole.

Video artworks by Tang Han, Ruth Waters and Rachel Rose explore ideas around our time on Earth, offering a shift in perspective through their depictions of the natural world.

These works - never before exhibited in the UK - have been shown one at a time, for one month each. On Saturday 11 May, the final day of the exhibition, you can see all three works: Tang Han’s Ginkgo and Other Times, Ruth Waters’ Swallow Up and Rachel Rose’s The Last Day.

Video: excerpt from Ginkgo and Other Times by Tang Han courtesy of the artist

WHAT’S ON

CREDITS

Curated by Greta Hewison for Science Gallery London
Exhibition production by Science Gallery London 
Exhibition 2D design by Rectangle Design
With thanks to Kitty Clark, Jack Baker, Elliot Fox, Jordan Watson, Johanna Kieniewicz, Beatrice Pembroke, Daniel Walker and the King’s Culture team.