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D ata is the “gold of the 21 century”! Although data has been collected for over 100 years, it was
st
digital networking that made the big difference: an infinite number of data sets are created vir-
tually every millisecond, and their correlation reveals many exciting connections that were previously
immeasurable – but also make us more predictable every day. Our data, collected through wearab-
les and tracking devices, apps, social networks and (video) platforms, intelligent assistants, bonus
programmes, ads and cookies, are used to analyse our user behaviour, understand trends, optimise
processes, tailor offerings, make recommendations and thus provoke actions. By 2025, we will gene-
rate 463 exabytes of data every day (!). The speed of this process is steadily increasing – suggesting
that the algorithmic systems that read this data now know us better than we know ourselves. Data is
omnipresent and influences both our present daily lives and our future decisions and thus the design
of our future knowledge transfer. This development also impacts the design and concept of exhibitions
and museum spaces. However, ever-increasing and ever more complex amounts of data also lead to Foto: Studio Above&Below, London
an information overload that our brains can no longer process. To emotionalise these sober values,
creative artists are generating artworks that make these data visible in space: immersive data sculp-
tures whose aesthetic patterns come to life in a fascinating way and become a physical-spatial expe-
rience. As seismographs, artists like Refik Anadol, Ryoji Ikeda, Hito Steyerl or the collective Ouchhh Audiovisuelles Mixed-Reality-Erlebnis von Above&Below • Audiovisual mixed reality
anticipate exciting developments that will significantly influence our spatial design in the future. This
is because the visualisation of data allows content to be conveyed intuitively and, in combination with
new technological possibilities such as intelligent systems, stories can be retold in space.

Data-driven

Especially artificial intelligence as a data-based technology is rapidly changing our ways of com-
munication and presentation, bringing forth some exciting possibilities for scenographic mediation.
As a generative tool, it not only stimulates our creativity but also changes the experience in space.
For instance, it enables new forms and intensities of storytelling and, consequently, immersion.
Scenes are created where visitors can fully immerse themselves and interact with content in novel Foto: Coordination Asia, Shanghai
ways or engage in a direct dialogue. The integration of conversational chatbots into the mediation
strategy currently illustrates this trend: At the Musée d’Orsay in Paris, Vincent van Gogh acts as an
interactive conversational partner, promptly revealing more about his inspiration, techniques and
state of mind with each personally posed question from museum guests. The underlying AI was Extended-Reality-Museum von Coordination Asia • Extended Reality Museum
fed with data from around 900 historical letters and manuscripts, now allowing for an individual
and participatory experience. However, it’s not just the processing of action and reaction in real- Interaktives Web3-Erlebnis von Artificial Rome • Interactive Web3 experience
time but also the translation of data into various sensory perceptions that takes interaction to a
new level. Brainwaves become text, text becomes images, images become sounds, sound becomes
haptic elements and so forth. Through human-machine communication, new synaesthetic spaces
can be generated, leading to a more inclusive experience as individuals with disabilities can be
better integrated into mediation concepts. For example, Canadian artist Rafael Lozano-Hemmer uses
artificial intelligence in the immersive exhibition Atmospheric Memory to make speech tangible:
visible, audible and even palpable. Sounds from 3000 separate audio sources are translated into an
LED light display, and moving silhouettes control digital text fragments through body heat. Particu-
larly intriguing is the Cloud Display, where spoken words are transformed into text clouds of water
vapor using AI and 1600 ultrasonic atomisers.

Dataism

Once again, it shows how valuable continuously collected data is. Demographic and geographic facts
such as age, gender and education can complement the user profile, as do information on movement
patterns, dwell time, language choice, willingness to consume, online activities, frequency of visits
(online and offline), loyalty and feedback on other platforms. This not only allows for conclusions
about user behaviour but also improves communication, optimises target group addressing and visi-
tor journeys and makes exhibition spaces—whether real, hybrid, or virtual—more attractive. Even
though many questions remain unanswered regarding hyper-personalisation (How can visitors still
be surprised and amazed when data knows all their wishes and spatial experiences adapt to them?),
communication in space without the collection, analysis and interpretation of data will certainly
not exist for much longer. This is because the design of future spatial experiences will make these
data streams visible: either as direct visualisation or as a spatial response to evaluation. Museums
(and brands as well!) should, therefore, prepare their data well, understand what they can do with
it and digitise their collections. Creative professionals need to learn to understand dynamic data as
the basis of their design work. This will enable them to co-create with AI, generate new interactive
learning and knowledge spaces and create emotional, multisensory experiences that can be indivi- Bild: Artificial Rome, Berlin
dually tailored to user preferences. Data will become a new language between machines, one that
we humans should also master fluently.

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