Ways of Seeing a Changing Landscape
Spatial documentation, environmental research, and artistic interpretation.
FROM LANDSCAPE TO DATA.
FROM DATA TO EXPERIENCE.
Whispers of the Grass is a collaborative short documentary featuring an interview with Caleb Pungowiyi and footage of the Alaskan landscape. I edited the film and contributed original cinematography alongside Steven Rowell. The project was developed in collaboration with Steven Rowell, Olaf Kuhlke, Jade Maeng, Connor Johnson, and Anastasia Broman.
Research
Our team contributed to a multi-institutional research project investigating environmental change in Alaska. The project brought together researchers across disciplines, each working with different types of environmental and geospatial data.
Hollie Leggett inside a permafrost ice tunnel in Utqiaġvik, Alaska, during field research, 2025.
This video features screen recordings of LiDAR scans collected during environmental research in Alaska, demonstrating how complex spatial datasets can be explored through three-dimensional visualization. I captured the screen recordings, and Steven Rowell edited the footage into the final video.
Problem:
How does the way we represent environmental data shape how people understand the landscapes it describes?
Using photography, video, and audio to capture environmental conditions and perspectives that scientific datasets alone cannot convey.
Using LiDAR and photogrammetry to transform spatial measurements into three-dimensional representations of environments that are otherwise difficult to explore.
Exploring how immersive media can translate complex environmental research into visual and spatial experiences that invite broader audiences to engage with the information.
The Translation
What happens when scientific data becomes an artistic medium?
As I worked with these datasets, I became increasingly interested in their potential beyond scientific documentation. While the visualizations communicated valuable information, they often required specialized knowledge to interpret.
////////// (2026)
Stereoscopic video projection exploring spatial imagery through an immersive, three-dimensional viewing experience.
Solution:
What if we could transform environmental data into an experience rather than simply presenting it as information?
Exhibition
Developed at the Minneapolis College of Art and Design, the exhibition invited students and visitors to encounter environmental research outside a traditional scientific setting.
Explore the exhibition through a 360° virtual walkthrough, including its spatial arrangement and multimedia installations.
Reflection
This project changed how I think about accessibility. I began by exploring how technology could make complex scientific research more approachable, but discovered that artistic interpretation could offer another way to engage with the same information.
While the exhibition created a new experience for audiences at MCAD, it was still developed within my own community. Moving forward, I hope to collaborate more directly with communities in Alaska, inviting them to help shape how their environments and experiences are represented.