It is difficult to define what Studio Folder does. The work of Marco Ferrari and Elisa Pasqual freely moves between research, design and graphics, generating every time a new language that follow the different dynamics of reality. The Milanese agency exploits the different “eyes” produced by contemporary technologies to scientifically represent landscapes blending physical territory, information and technique. The project proposed by Studio Folder at the 4th Istanbul Design Biennal is an interactive installation named The Physical Geography of the Sea.

It consists of a series of radio towers that trace the Bosphorus marine traffic in real time. Distributed in the urban areas of Istanbul, these devices promote public access to information not only to analyse and interpret the behavior of ships passing by the strait, but also to raise awareness of the production, ownership and distribution of our sensitive data. Exhibited within the Currents School, the installation presents paper maps and digital equipment that show positions, trajectories and the stratification of this information over time. The Physical Geography of the Sea shows the geopolitical context of the Bosphorus Strait and experiments with new models of knowledge that can be produced with data.