Day-to-Day Data
The Day-to-Day Data Symposium took place at the ICA London on 18 March 2006 in Cinema 2.

The Symposium offered a unique insight into the Day-to-Day Data project through the eyes of five of the artists involved. It featured presentations by Abigail Reynolds, Adele Prince, Ellie Harrison, Richard Dedomenici and Tony Kemplen. Each speaker discussed the ideas and methodologies surrounding their work made for the show, in relation to a specific way in which data can be collected, analysed, processed and visualised as part of artistic practice.

These were identified as Data Mapping, Pattern Recognition, Data Visualisation, Data Processing and Data Logging. The formal presentations were followed by a Group Discussion touching on some of the issues raised by the speakers.

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(photography by Edward Hill, Adele Prince and Tim Taylor)
Day-to-Day Data Symposium in ICA Cinema 2
Day-to-Day Data Symposium in ICA Cinema 2
Introduction

Ellie Harrison gives a brief introduction to the Day-to-Day Data project; describing how the artists’ works are spread across the gallery show, the web-based exhibition and the publication. She then introduces each of the artists who are present today including Gabrielle Sharp, Hannah Brown, Helen Frosi, Kevin Carter, Mary Yacoob, Sam Curtis, Therese Stowell and Tim Taylor. She then introduces the format for the day’s presentations, the five different topics the speakers will address and the timing mechanisms they have bought with them in order to stick to schedule.
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(mp3 audio file, 8:58 minutes, 10.2 MB)


Data Mapping

Adele Prince introduces the project she created for Day-to-Day Data, Trolley Spotting and an earlier piece Lost Something. She examines how data can be collected about urban debris whilst walking through the city and used to map our personal relationships with our local area.
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(mp3 audio file, 9:05 minutes, 10.4 MB)


Pattern Recognition

Richard Dedomenici discusses recent projects where research has led him to uncover bizarre patterns emerging in the least expected places. These include his experiments in Train Spotter Spotting and the theory of the Nail Salon Belt, developed for Day-to-Day Data.
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(mp3 audio file, 12:01 minutes, 13.7 MB)


Data Visualisation

Tony Kemplen shows his experiments with data visualisation techniques. By borrowing the aesthetics of educational aids he demonstrates how absurd information can appear to be of great importance. He concludes by sharing the process of visualising his project for Day-to-Day Data, Eating pizza while watching the news.
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(mp3 audio file, 11:29 minutes, 13.1 MB)


Data Processing

Abigail Reynolds describes the rules and systems she employs to process word data extracted from the Oxford English Dictionary into the exact positioning of objects within her sculptures. The Word Co-ordinate works appear as autonomous art objects, however a little probing can reveal the complex systems which created them.
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(mp3 audio file, 11:35 minutes, 13.2 MB)


Data Logging

Ellie Harrison shares her experiences of logging personal data, describing the effect constant measuring and monitoring has on her life. She introduces her two characters, the Daily Data Logger and the Specimen and then describes the ways their data is concealed, transformed and then presented within a gallery installation.
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(mp3 audio file, 11:14 minutes, 12.8 MB)


Group Discussion

The discussion is chaired by Ellie Harrison. It covers six main areas of questioning, observation and response by audience members, speakers and other artists involved in the project:


What is the impulse to collect data?

Question posed by Therese Stowell. Responses from Ellie Harrison, Abigail Reynolds, Richard Dedomenici and Therese Stowell.
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(mp3 audio file, 7:42 minutes, 8.8 MB)


Should the artworks have more thorough instructions?

Question posed by James Ford. Responses from Danielle Arnaud, Rob Davis, Abigail Reynolds, audience member and Tim Taylor.
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(mp3 audio file, 11:02 minutes, 12.6 MB)


Is there a commercial incentive for artists to collect data?

Question posed by audience member. Responses from Ellie Harrison, Abigail Reynolds and Therese Stowell.
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(mp3 audio file, 3:34 minutes, 4.1 MB)


It's amazing how much enjoyment you get from your projects...

Observation put forward by audience member. Responses from Ellie Harrison and Adele Prince.
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(mp3 audio file, 2:29 minutes, 2.8 MB)


With so many other interesting things going on, is there any need for a Gallery Exhibition?

Question posed by audience member. Response from Ellie Harrison.
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(mp3 audio file, 3:24 minutes, 3.9 MB)


You seem like a support group for data obsessives...

Observation put forward by Kate Pelen. Responses from Tony Kemplen and Adele Prince.
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(mp3 audio file, 3:52 minutes, 4.4 MB)




The Day-to-Day Data Symposium was funded by Arts Council England Grants for the Arts