Artist Tali Weinberg is working since 2015 on extensive series of textile data-art documenting heat waves, water color variations, average temperatures, etc. On her website you can discover the dozen different pieces from the “Climate Datascape” series, as well as other data projects. I translate climate data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration into abstracted landscapes and waterscapes, materializing the data with plant-derived fibers and dyes and […]

Soft City is a large-scale textile series that maps the urban fabric of Black neighborhoods in the Boston area. The tapestries map historic (redlined) and contemporary Black neighborhoods, including Roxbury, Dorchester, and East Cambridge. The information mapped tells the story of the past, present and future of Black residents, and the ecological resilience of the neighborhoods they live in. Hard (impervious) and soft (pervious) land uses are codified using colors with overlays of Black […]

Jordan Cunliffe is an embroidery designer and author with a focus on data and storytelling. Cunliffe is taking traditional and historic textile techniques, and pairing them with contemporary concepts. Her work includes binary encoding of her childhood diary with black and white beads, representing overlapping series of data using embroidery, representing time, sleep patterns, migration patterns, with threads and beads. Jordan Cunliffe is the author of a book called “Record, Map & […]

Going beyond a definition of Europe limited to its borders, Europa 2022 imagines a soundscape of Europe that reveals its linguistic diversity and identity through its languages, accents, and intonations. Supported by the Art and Design research program “Objects, Crafts and Computation” in collaboration with the ceramics and glass faculty of the Eugeniusz Geppert Academy of Art and Design in Wrocław, the Europa 2022 project is a participatory and generative device designed on the basis of a […]

The artifacts consist of three-dimensional knots based on the analysis on the physical structure of Khipu knots. By using digital tools and analog methods to encrypt information, knots and knotted surfaces are created for the archiving and transmission of different forms of text such as poems or stories. Nayeli Vega’s project “Codes in Knots” revisits the ancient Andean information recording system of Khipus with modern technologies, to encode texts into series of textured, […]

Dexter Callender III’s work captured light moving across several iconic architectures of the Boston area throughout the course of a day. He captured light using a unique setup of photography and code. Those data were then converted into layers and shapes, carved into glass and assembled to form a set of unique sculptures that won Dexter the Harold and Arlene Schnitzer Prize in the Visual Arts in 2024. The final shape represents the “immaterial” shape of light moving through […]

PlanetWalker is a public physicalization displayed in an open workplace, using a mosaic art style to present the walking activity of 16 co-located users over four weeks. The mosaic patterns were pre-designed based on the eight planets (Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune), symbolizing exploration and representing individual users. It encouraged participants to walk 7,500 steps per day. This daily goal was divided into ten small goals, each represented by a colored […]

Dipsea Chimes is a kinetic data sculpture made by information designer Maggie Shi celebrating the Dipsea Race, America’s oldest trail race. Installed on a terrace overlooking Mt. Tamalpais - the race’s iconic setting - it is accessible to the local community. The piece aims to raise awareness of the race’s historical significance, particularly its pioneering role in equity and gender inclusion. To achieve this, the design presents race data in a tangible, interactive format, making it engaging […]

The Sensing Data course was held at KH-Berlin weißensee in 2024–2025. Its focus was on questioning “What happens when we can not only read information visually, but also can experience it through other senses?”. As a result of the course, 17 student projects have been realized, all being original data-physicalizations involving textile work addressing a specific research question. All 17 projects are documented on the course’s website. Source: Mark-Jan Bludau (2025) Sensing […]

Making the Invisible Visible is a project that tracks cyclists’ routes throughout the city and transforms this data into three-dimensional sculptures that double as public bike repair stations. These sculptural objects not only enhance public space and act as reference points for urban navigation, but also invite cyclists to reflect on bicycle movement across Quito (Ecuador) while repairing their bikes. Sources: Barriga-Abril, X., Vivanco, J., Rosas, C., Medina, X., Aulestia, A., & […]