Eurobionet was a Europe-wide project sponsored by the European Commission under the 1999 LIFE Environment programme. The project addressed the problem of air pollution in major European cities. The main theme of the project was the use of bioindicators - plants or trees which are particularly sensitive to different forms of air pollution, often over long periods of time.

Some elements of the project were intended to raise public awareness of the issues involves. One of these was the production of artworks by Alex Hamilton, an artist based in the Scottish Borders.

As part of the exhibition The Great Divide held at the Fruitmarket Gallery, Edinburgh in June 2002, Alex displayed a video installation on the theme of air and pollution, a montage of computer-based images produced using web technology and a series of large still images.

The still images were electron micrographs showing particles of air pollution on the petals of various types of plant including roses, tulips and gladioli. The electron micrography was carried out at Edinburgh University. Image processing and colouring was carried out by Envision under Alex's watchful eye.

The video installation consisted of a loop of digital video running on a DVD player and projected onto a wall. The content of the video was prepared by Envision on the basis of plant and pollution images prepared by Edinburgh University and simulated flight sequence through Edinburgh.

A second video featuring the electron micrographs was prepared for a conference in Hannover, Germany.

Eurobionet still has a web site at www.eurobionet.com

Alex Hamilton has a web site at www.alexanderhamilton.co.uk