R. Klanten, N. Bourquin, S. Ehmann, T. Tissot – Data Flow 2: Visualizing Information in Graphic Design

R. Klanten

Die Gestalten Verlag, ISBN-13: 978-3899552782, English, Germany, 2010
According to Olia Lialina: “Two ideas have occupied the minds of new media designers for several decades: humanization of computers and the materialization of digital phenomena.” While the former is far from truly being realized, the latter is a huge trend, especially when it comes to data visualization. Quantities and relationships among different entities are the basis of graphs, but even the chart archetypes (histograms, lines of trend, etc.) have entered the mass visual vocabulary. That’s why the passion of the authors of Data Flow has found a way to continue the efforts of the first volume. In spite of the fact that the structure, the scope of the book and the overall vision is quite similar (including a few experts interviewed in a mostly visual conceptual trip), it’s literally astonishing how it’s consistent and diverse at the same time. So why is this second volume as worthy as the first? Because it lends itself more to conceptual and artistic projects. Faithful to its title, it’s the purest abstraction of data that is embodied in artworks: on screen, in print or in objects, sculptures, photographs, performances, drawings, installations and different actions and interventions. (Re)organizing information here is a challenge to finish a comprehensive artwork every time. All the selected works can be taken out of this anthology without losing anything, apart from a broader and pleasurable context that is (again) representative of its own flourishing and creative universe.