This week, the lecture pod focuses on artist Natalie Miebach who takes weather data from massive storms and turns it into complex sculptures that embody the forces of nature and time. These sculptures then become musical scores for a string quartet to play.
Natalies work begins simply by extracting data from a specific environment using very low-tech data collecting devices. She then compares her information to anything she can find on the internet– satellite imaging, weather data, etc. She then will compile all the numbers onto clipboards, and thus begins the translation process.
Natalies art form is unique in that the work changes depending on where the art is placed. Were it placed in a museum, it would become a sculpture. However, if placed in a science museum, it becomes a three dimensional data visualisation. The same would happen were she to place it in a music hall, wherein it becomes a musical score.
Natalies work challenges what the audience knows about visual language. Her art form is uniquely crafted to encourage the audience to question what fits into science, design, and music. She offers an alternative entry point into the complexity of of science, because not everyone has a Ph.D. in science.
This data visualisation case opened up my mind as to what can be considered data visualisations. For the past few weeks, I have seen mostly digital and interactive infographics, but nothing to the scale of what Natalie has presented. She offers an intricate way to look at science and design that I had not thought to see it as before.
Leah Giselle's Data Visualisation Space 