Cyanometer Postcard

The Cyanometer Postcard captures the nuances of sky blueness at a specific moment, allowing senders to document and share this information with the recipient. Its purpose is to connect individuals globally, embracing contemplation of the sky's beauty across different latitudes.
Horace-Bénédict de Saussure, a Swiss Naturalist (1740-1799), is credited with inventing the Cyanometer in 1789 during his expeditions in the Alps. Alexander von Humboldt also employed the Cyanometer during his journey in Latin America (1799-1804).

Alongside the Cyanometer Postcard, two other postcards were designed to share the color of the sky and the passage of time with the recipient:
Sunset Postcard was created for The Perfect Sunsets show at Gabriela Mistral Gallery in 2017.

Air Pollution Postcard was originally created for the 12th Shanghai Biennale in 2018, now reimagined in a new 2025 version.

The Air Pollution Postcard is a color chart meter used to compare the colors of the sky and assess air quality. Enclosed within the atmosphere of a cloying fog, one yearns for a breeze to reveal the landscape and alleviate a sense of isolation. Seeking to bring the cityscape into focus, the gaze instead sinks into its evanescent surface. The effect is dizzying. Separating the visual delight of being immersed in a cloud from the intoxicating reality of breathing heavily polluted air, the postcard evokes both the smog that engulfs global cities and the ethereal beauty of fog. In its mesmerizing aesthetic ambiguity, the work sustains a space for contemplation within our troubled atmosphere.

Cyanometer Postcard
Sunset Postcard
Macarena Ruiz-Tagie, 2023
Air Pollution Postcard
Macarena Ruiz-Tagie, 2025

105 X 148mm
Recycled Paper, offset print