Arts at CERN

In data.gram [n °4], Ryoji Ikeda explores the aesthetic potential of scientific data to display different scales of the Universe.

The five-channel audiovisual installation allows viewers to visualise some of the less well understood aspects of our cosmos – from the tiny world of quantum particles to human-sized environments and the vast scales of clusters of galaxies.

Ikeda uses data from established research institutions like CERN, NASA and the Human Genome Project to craft a story about the natural world. The use of data-driven imagery to show hidden elements of the Universe invites us to reflect on the mysteries that the cosmos holds, such as the quantum vacuum and the existence of dark matter.

Is the Universe as quiet and as still as it seems? When you experience data.gram [n°4], you might feel the “quietness” of the quantum vacuum and think about your place in these different scales of the Universe.

data.gram [n°4] was commissioned by Arts at CERN for the exhibition Exploring the Unknown at the CERN Science Gateway, CERN’s new education and outreach centre.

concept, composition: Ryoji Ikeda .
computer graphics, programming: Norimichi Hirakawa, Tomonaga Tokuyama, Ryo Shiraki.