As correspondents for the fictional meteorological agency, 洪火机构 (The Office Agency of Flash Flood and Wildfire), bela and Kloxii Li deliver a ceaseless stream of predictions for imminent flash floods and wildfires. Acting as oracles for these disconcerting narratives, they navigate the tumultuous landscape of climate uncertainty. Drawing inspiration from East Asian rain rituals and the experience of witnessing flash floods and wildfires in their homelands of South Korea and California, the duo’s performance is facilitated by a custom search engine crafted for the performance. In the space, screens come to life, filled with found footage extracted from weather broadcasts and social media. Through three acts, they question this prevailing narrative; they evoke the haunting experience of doom-scrolling and its multifaceted emotional responses. 洪火机构 (The Office Agency of Flash Flood and Wildfire) explores visual forms of sensing, forecasting, and metabolising the realities of climate collapse.

Visuals and software by Rim Mustafin.

bela and Kloxii Li were part of the transmediale x Beta Residency 2023, funded by the Arts Council of Ireland International Residency Initiatives Scheme.