Thermal Throttle

“Thermal throttle” is the technical term for what happens when a computer’s graphics processing unit becomes overwhelmed and needs to shed heat, maxing out the machine’s fan cooling system, and resulting in a sound that physically and metaphorically feels like heavy breathing.

Events that trigger thermal throttle are graphics-processing heavy, such as gaming, rendering large videos, and navigating 3D models, all of which are essential elements of virtual life in the metaverse. In this sculpture, artificial landscapes produced by machine-learning models, or “deep fakes”, are projected onto pedestal fans and filter through the blades onto the wall. Hypnotic as the pleasing imagery and rotating blades may be, the jarring audio of computer fans whirring serves as a constant reminder that the machine has reached its limit. As our existence in the physical world becomes more perilous by the day due to climate change, Thermal Throttle reminds us that life in the virtual world is also threatened by an excess of heat and overuse of resources.