HALO III

2021 | 4k video, seamless loop, stereo audio

HALO I, II and III are sequels to Camp, a video which presents a cliché of outdoor life filmed in 1998. The full moon on a summer evening is distorted by the heat rising from a crackling campfire. On the fire, popcorn bursts. With each burst, the moon dances.

23 years after producing Camp, the promise of what summer brings has changed. HALO III presents a bright red solar eclipse known as a “ring of fire”. Embers float around and smoke swirls.

Past, present and future, the HALO trilogy references the significant feedback loop we are now in after decades of warnings. Campfires are now banned in the summer in British Columbia (where I live). With severe, extended droughts being the new normal, the risk of wildfire is extreme. Compounding the threat, 2021 produced record temperatures reaching a staggering 49.6C, smashing the previous record by 4.6C. It is set to be the 3rd worst fire season on record, all of which were recorded within the last 5 years. Simultaneously, the UN declared that it is code red for humanity as a result of climate change.

Installation view: Kamloops Art Gallery
Photo credits: SITE Photography