Introductory Statement
Workshop Introduction
We now collect huge amounts of data – about energy and water usage, about waste and about the various programs we have like green roofs and car sharing. It’s vital information, and we duly publish it on our website and in regular reports. But frankly, it’s hard to get people interested or excited by it. So this is where artists come in. For the City Data Slam we asked twelve artists to bring the figures to life in ways that illuminate and celebrate our collective efforts to deal with environmental challenges.
The City Data Slam at ISEA2013 has been one giant jam session, with the brief to turn boring data into beautiful art. It’s about finding ways to engage people, to make them care, to show how all those tiny, almost invisible actions can actually amount to significant changes in our world. Artists can play a key role here, opening our minds to new possibilities, as recognised in our recently released Creative City discussion paper.
The City of Sydney was delighted to have joined with ISEA2013, with Carbon Arts and Object Gallery to launch Sensing Sydney, a project to communicate sustainability through the arts, open data and public space. I’d like to thank all of the participants in the City Data Slam and indeed, in this international symposium on electronic art. Artists really do make a difference.
From https://www.carbonarts.org/events/city-data-slam :
City Data Slam brings together leading national and international data art practitioners over the last weekend of ISEA2013 to jam with Sydney’s sustainability data at Object Gallery in Surry Hills, Sydney.
City Data Slam is a key component of the City of Sydney and Carbon Arts’ project Sensing Sydney: communicating sustainability through the arts, open data and public space. City Data Slam and Sensing Sydney challenge digital artists to work with real-time data to assist communities, businesses and organisations in reaching the City’s Sustainable Sydney 2030 vision’.City Data Slam took place during ISEA2013 at Object Gallery in Sydney. Twelve leading data engaged artists were invited to jam over 3 days, producing concepts and prototypes to encourage smarter and greener citizenship. The Slam closed with a special, public event on Sunday, 16 June where the results of the Slam were showcased, followed by an announcement of Sensing Sydney’s winning public art commission, Building Run 2013. (http://www.carbonarts.org/projects/building-run) Divergent Minds created a podcast with interviews and insights from behind the scenes at the Data Slam.
Publication:
https://www.carbonarts.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/CITY_DATA_SLAM_REPORT_web_MD.pdf
- Jenny Green is an Independent Team Councillor with the City of Sydney, AU