The Making of "Data Meditations: An Abstract Koi Pond"

Abstract Koi Pond

What is the relationship between art + tech + death + life?

Data Meditations: An Abstract Koi Pond explores these questions. Created by Kristin Henry and produced in collaboration with Reimagine End of LIfe and Codame Art + Tech Festival, this data art installation debuts at GitHub San Francisco during the Codame Art + Tech Festival (October 25-27, 2019).

In the code driven data art installation, abstract koi fish slowly swim through a projected pond. Each fish is shaped from an individual’s response to three questions: How Appreciative are You? How Connected to Community are You? How Comfortable are You with Acknowledging your Impermanence and Talking about Death?

As the fish swim, they periodically release remembrance bubbles with the names of loved ones.

The result is a slowly moving meditation on memory, temporality, and technology.

The data in the art work comes from participants who agreed to share their responses to ReImagine End of Life’s 2019 online questionnaire about death, dying, living and remembering.

The piece will travel to The Laundry SF for the remainder of ReImagine’s community-based San Francisco festival (October 24-Nov 3, 2019). On November 2, 2019, at the Friends of Reimagine SF Celebration Party, the creative team behind the piece will discuss the math and musings behind their process.

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Data Meditations Creative Team

Kristin Henry

Kristin Henry is a San Francisco based Data Visualization consultant and Generative Artist, whose work takes inspiration from Science, Nature, and Mathematics.
kristinhenry.github.io

Rosalie Barnes

Rosalie Barnes explores the intersection of art and end of life through toys, technology, and stories. She serves as the manager and key collaborator for Kristin Henry’s Data Meditations Project.

Reimagine End of LIfe

Reimagine End of Life is a nonprofit organization that aims to transform our individual, family, and community experience around death, dying and living. www.letsreimagine.org

Codame Art + Tech

Codame Art + Tech SPACE Festival runs October 25-27, 2019. www.codame.org

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Some scattered technical notes...

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What of this piece is shaped by data, and what is purely my artistic view?

The size of the fish represents relative value in survey. Reflecting the feeling of growth when connected to others and feeling appreciation.

Circles on fish represent responses to questions in survey

Tools Used:

  • Javascript (vanilla)
  • Canvas
  • D3.js library (for csv handling and d3.scale())
  • Konva js library (for text on curves)
  • qrcode 6.1 python library (for generating qr code for project)