Data Art & Science (DAS) is a new interdisciplinary field at the center of a collaborative project between Toyota Coniq Alpha and the Ars Electronica Futurelab to incorporate artistic perspectives on data. At the Ars Electronica Festival 2024, visitors could experience a prototype of the DAS Center which aims to revitalize local culture in the Japanese prefecture of Shiga – to help tackle problems such as depopulation and an ageing society.
The DAS Project collaborates with Shiga University to revitalize Shiga Prefecture, located east of Kyoto and Osaka on Japan’s main island. Shiga borders Biwako Lake, Japan’s largest freshwater lake, covering one-sixth of the prefecture and supplying water to Shiga, Kyoto, and Osaka. Known for its natural beauty, historical sites, and cultural heritage, Shiga faces issues like depopulation, vacant houses, an ageing society, flood risks, and landslides.
Memories for Futures @ Futurelab Night 2024; photo: Bettina Gangl
Memories for Futures @ Futurelab Night 2024; photo: Bettina Gangl
Data Art & Science Project @Open Futurelab; photo: Bettina Gangl
Data Art & Science Project: A Water Vein to the Futures @ Open Futurelab; photo: Bettina Gangl
Data Art & Science Project: A Water Vein to the Futures @ Open Futurelab; photo: tom mesic
Data Art & Science Project: DAS Logo; photo: Bettina Gangl
Data Art & Science Project: Future-Mobility Map @ Open Futurelab; photo: tom mesic
Data Art & Science Project: Data Anatomy of a Fisherman; photo: Bettina Gangl
Data Art & Science Project: Data Anatomy of a Fisherman; photo: Bettina Gangl
Data Art & Science: Food Workshop @ Ars Electronica Festival 2024; photo: Bettina Gangl
Data Art & Science: Food Workshop @ Ars Electronica Festival 2024; photo: Bettina Gangl
Data Art & Science (DAS) Talk: Food @Open Futurelab Lounge; photo: Bettina Gangl
Data Art & Science (DAS) Talk: Food / Yasunobu Tomita (JP), Takeshi Kawanishi (JP), Michael Steininger (AT); photo: Bettina Gangl
Data Art & Science (DAS) Talk: Education@Open Futurelab Lounge; photo: vog.photo
Data Art & Science (DAS) Talk: Revitalization@Open Futurelab Lounge; photo: vog.photo
Data Art & Science (DAS) Talk: Revitalization@Open Futurelab Lounge; photo: vog.photo
The DAS Project 2024 works with Shiga University and local stakeholders to research how Data Art & Science can play a role in the local revitalization of the region. The project is working towards an ambitious goal: placing a DAS Center in the city of Hikone that aims to activate the local culture as part of the revitalization movement. At the Ars Electronica Festival 2024, visitors could engage with a prototype of the DAS Center that embodies the values of the long-term perspective of the project.
Based on Data Science, DAS incorporates artistic perspectives on data. Through artistic handling and interpretation of data sets, artists can bring about new and unexpected reflections on various social issues, and thus contribute to future transformations and awareness of the role of data in contemporary society.
Local impressions of Azusa Kawachi; photo: Kazuma Obara
Local impressions of Azusa Kawachi; photo: Johannes Pöll
Memories for Futures: Azusa Kawachi Workshop; photo: Kazuma Obara
Memories for Futures: Gaussian Splat; photo: Ars Electronica Futurelab
Gaussian Splatting during the workshop; photo: Kazuma Obara
A Water Vein to the Futures: Sake making; photo: Tomita Shuzo
Data Art & Science Projects 2024
Memories for Futures is a multi-modal DAS installation, created by the Ars Electronica Futurelab, that aims to create and discussion about the future of life in rural areas. The center of this work is the small Japanese village, located in the Shiga prefecture, Azusa Kawachi.
A Water Vein to the Futures explores the production of Japanese sake, highlighting its natural and cultural cycles, and demonstrates how to shape ideas for a sustainable future.
DAS Logo is a piece based on the real-time ​ of various locations, incorporating data from 60 live cameras monitoring the rivers flowing into Lake Biwa.
Future-Mobility Map is a simulation conducted to measure the benefits of waterway transportation to solve traffic jam issues. It also considers the environmental impact of using hydrogen energy to preserve the water quality of Lake Biwa.
Data Anatomy of a Fisherman is a data-driven exploration of the life of a fisherman at Lake Biwa, addressing the challenge of a declining number of successors. It aims to re-evaluate the profession of fishing and uncover its value for the future.
Credits
Memories for Futures
Ars Electronica Futurelab: Kyoko Kunoh, Nicolas Naveau, Hideaki Ogawa, Maria Pfeifer, Johannes Pöll, Raphael Schaumburg-Lippe, Cyntha Wieringa
Arno Deutschbauer (Sound design)
Azusa Kawachi Workshop participants
A Water Vein to the Futures
Ars Electronica Futurelab: Kyoko Kunoh, Nicolas Naveau, Hideaki Ogawa,
Yasunobu Tomita (Tomita Brewery)
DAS Logo
DAS research group:​ TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION; TOYOTA CONIQ Alpha, Inc.; DENTSU INC. Shiga University; N sketch; nomena inc.; J.C.SPARK; JQ Inc.
Ken Haga (designer; DENTSU INC.), Kento Unemi (designer; DENTSU INC.), Hidemaro Fujinami (Software engineer; N sketch), Daiki Hashimoto (Software engineer; N sketch), Juri Fujii (Hardware engineer; nomena inc.), Kohei Chishaki (Hardware engineer; nomena inc.), Mizuki Ito (designer; J.C.SPARK), Akira Fujii (designer; J.C.SPARK), Masakazu Ido (Copywriter; DENTSU INC.)
Future-Mobility Map
DAS research group:​ TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION; TOYOTA CONIQ Alpha, Inc.; DENTSU INC. Shiga University; N sketch; nomena inc.; J.C.SPARK; JQ Inc.
Ken Haga (designer; DENTSU INC.), Kento Unemi (designer; DENTSU INC.), Hidemaro Fujinami (Software engineer; N sketch), Daiki Hashimoto (Software engineer; N sketch), Mizuki Ito (designer; J.C.SPARK), Akira Fujii (designer; J.C.SPARK), Masakazu Ido (Copywriter; DENTSU INC.)
Data Anatomy of a Fisherman
DAS research group:​ TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION; TOYOTA CONIQ Alpha, Inc.; DENTSU INC. Shiga University; N sketch; nomena inc.; J.C.SPARK; JQ Inc.
Tatsuya Komai (Fisherman; FISHER ARCHITECT), Reina Nakayama (Researcher; Shiga University), Kazuo Shimoi (Researcher; Shiga University), Ken Haga (designer; DENTSU INC.), Kento Unemi (designer; DENTSU INC.), Hidemaro Fujinami (Software engineer; N sketch), Mizuki Ito (designer; J.C.SPARK), Akira Fujii (designer; J.C.SPARK), Masakazu Ido (Copywriter; DENTSU INC.)