Mona Chalabi

With devastating statistics and charts dominating our current news cycle, being in a constant state of anxiety has become exceptionally common. Chalabi has found a silver lining in this moment of fear and apprehension. 

Inspired by the natural world to give us a sense of relief, the series serves as a reminder that, however uncertain things may be, we remain grounded. The collection, titled 'Numbers to Help You Breathe', touches on heartwarming statistics, such as the tides flowing in and out, and love birds soaring in flight.

Avigation is a collaged chart showing 140 lovebirds (Agapornis fischeri), the amount that learn to fly every day. The different species of these birds have beautiful names: peach-faced, black-masked, grey-headed, yellow-collared, and creamino. I chose Fischer's lovebird because population counts were available and because they're beautiful creatures. (Source: IUCN Redlist 2020 – taking the midpoint of population estimates).

Avigation

Rotation relates its statistic to the present, stating: “In the time it takes you to read this, the earth will have rotated 0.02 degrees.” (Source: NASA and Brysbaert, M. (2019, April 12)).

Of course we know that the earth is spinning every moment of every day, but we don't think about it (maybe we would get motion sickness if we did!), but the continuity of our physical laws in a period of such instability and uncertainty feels strangely comforting. NASA states the probability of the Earth stopping its rotation is “practically zero."

Rotation

Undulation shows life under the ocean, annotated with the statement “In the time it takes you to read this, a gentle sea wave has crested twice,” the type set in a wave form to denote the fact itself. Tides caused by the gravitational pull of the moon and the sun are one of the most reliable phenomena in the world. When wind speeds are low, the rise and fall of sea waves become faster. So a gentle sea wave will happen more frequently than a stormy one. (Source: Coastal Engineering, 2009 & Brysbaert, M. (2019, April 12)