Who Owns the Rain

Who Owns the Rain?

"Who Owns the Rain" is a unique project that transforms weather data into a captivating sensory experience. This installation focuses on four cities in Taiwan: Keelung, Taichung, Hualien, and Kaohsiung, spanning from 2000 to 2023. Each city is represented by both sound and a visual line. Notably, major rainfall events are accompanied by distinct sounds. The lines on the display illustrate rainfall and evaporation (with higher and lower lines and colors from blue to brown) as well as wind gusts (indicated by line thickness).

In a mere 11 minutes, we present a snapshot of 8,401 days of weather data. The pace of the representation varies depending on Taiwan's GDP for a given year. This economic indicator also influences the background brightness. A brighter background signifies an increase in GDP, while a darker background shows to a decrease. Over the course of our observation period, there was a notable shift in Taiwan's weather patterns. Prior to 2011, the island experienced more than five major storms annually, significantly increasing rainfall. However, after 2011, the frequency of these storms decreased to just two per year, leading to an overall reduction in precipitation.

Who Owns the Rain? premiered at C-Lab in Taipei, Taiwan, on Nov 4, 2023.

Music by Shuo-Chun Lin, Animation by Greg Niemeyer, Production by Chin-Wen Chung