Looking Outwards – 04

The art I’ll be reviewing today is Ryoji Ikeda’s “Datamatics”. This piece explores the how we can possibly perceive multi-substance data that though present in out world; humans otherwise cannot comprehend. The piece uses pure data as a source for generating both sounds and visuals that help present time and space. The graphics are intentionally minimal and give a natural feel that you are looking at or hearing data. I’m not entirely sure how any of the data is technically generated, though I know the technologies used to collect the data. For starters, audio data can be collected through a mic and registered through pitch, volumes, harmonics, etc., these mics can also use AI learning to detect reverberance, decay, echoes, space, timbre, etc. This can then create visuals or separate audio based on the data that is a pure translation of the data. This can mean it can make a few clicks of data points, signals, analog waves, harmonies, pitches, etc. I really admire this art process as it links how we perceive the world around us to the actual real data behind it, comparing the two perceptions and letting them exists together for a moment.

https://www.ryojiikeda.com/project/datamatics/