Social media has basically become embedded into our DNA. Smartphones have become second nature, an extension of our arms as ‘ghosts’ a.k.a. people with zero online presence are a rare occurrence in today’s world. Our social interactions are generating all of this invisible data, a side product of our online presence. Artist Refik Anadol decided to employ this free data and turn it into something visible.

Anadol collaborated with Kilroy Realty Corporation and SOM Architects to create a cinematic data-driven sculpture called Virtual Depictions, projected onto a 40-foot-tall screen. The installation consists of a 90-minute-cycle of dynamic visuals, divided into 12 different chapters. The enormous media wall displays different animations, such as particle trails, fluid simulation, fractal landscapes, geometric compositions and point cloud fly-throughs.

The installation compiles real-time data from Twitter to create those mesmerizing landscapes of animation. “But how?” you might ask. If you’re using Twitter in San Francisco, you just might end up being a part of the installation. The system maps geotagged tweets on a 3D representation of San Francisco to create a heatmap. The heatmap will then be translated into a datascape.

The project is a public art commission for 350 Mission Building in San Francisco, California. The installation is located in the building’s lobby, which happens to have all-glass walls. This allows the installation to become a part of the streetscape, inviting passers-by to step aside and appreciate the mesmerizing play of visuals.

Refik Anadol has commented: “When creating this public artwork my goal was to make the invisible visible by embedding media arts into architecture to create a new way to experience a living urban space.”¹

What do you think? Did this project combine the invisible with the visible succesfully? BLEND\BUREAUX is always on the lookout for inspiring people, who are able to make the most unexpected connections in order to ride the wave of innovation. In this case it’s combining virtual data with art. If you’re intrigued to find out more about the project, go to Refik Anadol’s website.

All images © Refik Anadol

(via CreativeApplications.net)