‘The Air We Breathe’
The University of Nottingham’s new ‘City as Lab’, offers place led research with opportunities to share data with a variety of audiences. In collaboration with City Arts and Lakeside, ‘Data and Art’ is a pilot project that explores how data and art can interact and the creative processes that enable members of the public to engage with research data.
‘The Air We Breathe’ is an exhibition with artist Rebecca Smith of Urban Projections, where we have both responded differently to the same raw data set. Artworks are on show for the next 6 months at the University’s new site at Castle Meadows.
Funded by Lakeside, University of Nottingham and City Arts
Air quality data from 2017 - 2021 is creatively interpreted and translated into symbols, colours and codes and documented through printmaking and stitch.
The stark and confrontational database highlights nitrogen dioxide levels across the city of Nottingham, through a black, white and red spreadsheet. Air quality levels that exceed national objectives are emphasised in bold red. The spreadsheet was transformed into a map of the city, using its northings and eastings coordinates to pinpoint exactly the varying levels of air pollution. Circumference circles are the mean average of each data set, with stitched lines sharing the number in cm of each recorded nitrogen dioxide level.
Printing mistakes and residue marks share the ambiguity of the data set. Although initially looked standard and reliable, the information began to show many inconsistencies the more the data was creatively converted. Working on this project has reshaped my relationship to the city, especially as a cyclist, who navigates through many of these red large circles.
