The thematic departure point is the instability of the real estate market as a consequences of extreme gentrification. Something that is actively taking place in all bigger cities around the globe. There is a pending ‘big bubble crash’ as a consequence of this and the piece deals with the growing instability this creates and the effects of it on society.
The Big Crash is intended to grow, and the first parts are based on a software that mines the Internet for real estate data, here websites that work as intermediaries of rented properties, rooms and flats. Berlin is here chosen as an example since the market and the city's gentrification has expanded in a such high speed over the last years.
Malte Steiner wrote a software which harvests the data of the websites, e. g. prices and square-meters, but also the visuals of the advertisements. These are analyzed with a machine learning algorithm, performing an image segmentation and separates objects found in these images into picture fragments.
These fragmentations will consequently be used in the art pieces. The numerical data of the prices i.e. is transferred to MIDI and OSC data to control synthesizers, creating generative soundscapes.
kunsten.nu wrote about the exhibition at Spanien 19C in Aarhus: "Steiners udstilling fungerer på den måde ret virkningsfuldt som ‘byudviklingens dystre baglokale’ og rummer desuden et stærkt steds-vedkommende aspekt: Spanien 19C på havnen i Aarhus ryger nemlig snart som endnu et offer for den markedsdrevne gentrificering, der forlængst er gået i selvsving."
