Data Physicalisation

IED Visiting Lecturer Karin von Ompteda ran the project as planned, working with physics PhD students identified by the Institute of Physics. Instead of working with their data however, we focused on their practices and subject matter. The resulting work was exhibited in a public exhibition at Shoreditch Town Hall.
When we shifted focus, we used the name ‘PhysicSpace’ instead of ‘Data Physicalisationâ�� as originally proposed. This situated the project within our Space Program elective in which it was run (spaceprogram.rca.ac.uk). It also reflected the large scale, spatial nature of the work produced.
Our original intention was to exhibit the work alongside the British Library’s Beautiful Science exhibition, but our respective aims, aspirations and timetable did not match, and we thus sought a larger, longer-term venue more suitable to the work. We considered Battersea Power Station, Imperial College’s annual Spring Festival, and various UK summer science festivals, but we chose Shoreditch Town Hall for its atmospheric character and for lighting control, as many of the students’ works required partial or complete darkness.