“Acid Clouds is a research project initiated by graphic designer Niels Schrader and photographer Roel Backaert. It includes among others a series of photographs that maps the material traces of virtual data in the Netherlands. The project investigates the massively resource-intensive and earthbound properties of digital storage, and questions the image of “the cloud” as clean, sterile and environmentally-friendly domain.
Since 2018, Schrader and Backaert are systematically documenting Dutch data centres. Their night-time photographs are all taken from similar points of view in order to methodically capture the spatial presence of server farms and enable visual comparisons across different topologies. Discovering unique traits of the buildings helps to identify motives and effects hidden in today’s global cloud infrastructure.
To grasp the complexity of the impact of data centres on the immediate environment, Schrader and Backaert have conducted comprehensive interviews with leaders from the Dutch internet industry.”
Art Direction: Niels Schrader
Director of Photography: Roel Backaert
Camera: Daan van Asselt and Yannick van de Graaf
Video editing: Yannick van de Graaf
Assistance: Martijn de Heer
