Bits of data are collected from our participation in digital platforms. Knowingly or not, they are observed by non-human agencies such as algorithms and databases. I am intrigued by how our identity is manipulated by data that exists parallel to us but out of view. The resulting unknown self contributes to "big data" and influences decisions made for our social, economic, and political infrastructure. How can we visualize what happens to the self when inhabiting these digital spaces?
Digital scraps and clutter are inadvertently acquired in the same way one might collect "junk" or keepsakes. "Residual Artifacts" visualizes the joining of our digital and material selves by exploring the distortion of identity imposed by data. Objects we accumulate, such as rocks, shells, and notes, act as vessels that we may use to subconsciously store information and memories. They attempt to live in this space, yet ultimately translate as incompletely as we do. What is lost?
Utilizing point clouds and photogrammetry scans of personal objects, this data sculpture serves as an analogy for how materiality enters the digital realm – reminding us that we exist fragmented in digital space.
Viewable in the MIDEN in the Duderstadt Center. More information available inside.
