ArtsWestchester Gallery
31 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains, NY

Nov. 5, 2019 – January 25, 2020

Lecture and Tour

Dataism: Contemporary artists put data to work, exploring life in the age of the algorithm.

Data is the most abundant byproduct of contemporary life, with humankind generating more than 50 million laptops-worth of data daily. From an ATM transaction to signing an online petition, an Instagram post to a Google search, our daily interactions and behavioral choices are transformed into data points that are collected and stored by devices we carry. The same is even true of the day-to-day operations of companies and national governments.  This data-driven culture is driving change on many levels in society. In the age of the algorithm, how will autonomous decision-making shape our future? Data scientists bring new questions and interpretive tools to this tidal wave of information. Many work with data through the use of new visualization tools that analyze and convey data in meaningful ways. From bankers to farmers and beyond, big data informs decisions, with consequences that we may only understand down the road.

Many contemporary artists anchor their work in the collection and shaping of data: to engage with this aspect of daily life, probe present realities, and imagine the future.  These artists seek to reclaim the mining and interpretation of data as an illuminating and empowering cultural practice.

Dataism: Contemporary artists put data to work, exploring life in the age of the algorithm.

Data is the most abundant byproduct of contemporary life, with humankind generating more than 50 million laptops-worth of data daily. From an ATM transaction to signing an online petition, an Instagram post to a Google search, our daily interactions and behavioral choices are transformed into data points that are collected and stored by devices we carry. The same is even true of the day-to-day operations of companies and national governments.  This data-driven culture is driving change on many levels in society. In the age of the algorithm, how will autonomous decision-making shape our future? Data scientists bring new questions and interpretive tools to this tidal wave of information. Many work with data through the use of new visualization tools that analyze and convey data in meaningful ways. From bankers to farmers and beyond, big data informs decisions, with consequences that we may only understand down the road.

Many contemporary artists anchor their work in the collection and shaping of data: to engage with this aspect of daily life, probe present realities, and imagine the future.  These artists seek to reclaim the mining and interpretation of data as an illuminating and empowering cultural practice.

DATAISM brings together artists in the tristate region who use both existing data sets and data collected by the artist. They explore various spheres of contemporary life and experience, from interpersonal relationships to climate change, consumerism, social media, financial markets, privacy and surveillance.