3 Nov 2019

Burn Time - Victorian technology brought up to date

From Standing Room Only, 2:24 pm on 3 November 2019

An instrument that records sunshine using a glass orb and cardboard - and made out recycled material including bits of an old boat - is at the heart of a new installation called Burn Time. It's based on the Victorian-era Campbell Stokes machine that's still used in weather stations around the country, though digital recorders are starting to take its place. Nelson based artists Vicki Smith and Anthony Genet have created two of their machines to help people understand this basic but effective way of recording sunshine. But there's also a bigger idea behind it - encouraging people to think about climate change. Lynn Freeman spoke with Vicki and Anthony, first asking Vicki to describe the Campbell Stokes Machine. Burn Time premieres on Wednesday at the Meridian Mall as guests of the Dunedin Dream Brokerage.