Ryoji Ikeda’s Data Universe [n°1]
Alice Lubbock
Thomas Lewton
Features Editor, London
Since the mid-2000s, electronic musician and visual artist Ryoji Ikeda has transformed vast amounts of data into immersive installations that transport you into invisible realms of science.
While visiting his new job data universe [n°1]which aims to “map the full spectrum of nature’s data”, I took a break as my field of vision was enveloped by a vast LED screen that came to life with strobe flashes. However, I soon settled into the pace of this roller coaster that moved around the Earth, inside our minds and into space, all perfectly synchronized to the haunting music.
This is undoubtedly a brisk production. Practically flying through a strand of DNA at high speed is exhilarating and gives you a visceral reminder of just how vast the human genome is. Yet there is so much to absorb that at times these data worlds ring hollow and you feel like you’re being dazzled at the cost of questioning our relationship to data.
See the show for yourself at 180 Studios in London until February 1st.
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