Data River

Data River is a data art project created in collaboration with Electrolux Italia at the Susegana facility that redefines the boundaries of possible dialogue between artistic expression and technological advancement.

Data River is a project designed by Federica Fragapane, developed by me and brought to life based on the concept by Sergio Marchesini and Raffaella Rivi of the artistic collective D20 ART LAB.

The meeting between the artistic collective D20 ArtLab and the company was made possible thanks to the Smath project – "Smart Atmospheres of social and financial innovation for innovative clustering of creative industries in Med area" – aimed at connecting the universe of artists with businesses that wish to open themselves to new solutions and languages.

The project was developed in a highly technological context like that of Genesi, the company's new production department.

The objective of the artistic intervention is to emphasize the centrality of human experience, reshaping the concept of data use and visualization: the values and numbers that come from the production lines do not flow into a readable "graph," but give shape to an abstract artistic image that regenerates in real time.

An artistic language that creates a synthesis between technology and emotion, between human and machine, between functionality and contemplation.

Data River artistically visualizes and sonifies data coming from the production lines of the new 4.0 facility. The numbers and production values are sublimated into artistic images, literally giving life to a river that takes on the appearance of the Piave, the landscape element that best characterizes the territory where the company is located.

The data, specifically quality measurements, are collected from the production lines and transmitted to the installation every 15 minutes, feeding a visualization on a LED wall and creating a sonorization of the surrounding area. This data influences the dimensions and colors of the river banks, with the monitoring stations taking on different shades based on specific quality measurements. During the course of the day, the totals of produced pieces are calculated, highlighted by accumulations of white dots within the graphic.

The result is a constantly transforming pictorial work, located in an acoustically protected area, that breathes and resonates in a continuous flow, able to generate a sense of peace comparable to that which can arise from observing natural phenomena, such as flowing water or the trembling of leaves in a forest. Even the color palette is inspired by nature, bringing back the slow rhythm of the seasons.

The soundscape that accompanies the graphic is generative in nature and continuously evolving, never being the same, taking shape in real time by reacting to data and the passage of time, drawing inspiration from famous compositions such as Brian Eno's "Music for Airports." This approach aims to convey a sensation of serenity and flow through small but constant sound variations.

Data River constitutes a unique project in Italy, a synthesis of the convergence between art and technology, a literally extraordinary experience within an industrial context.