Living In Data

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A provocative exploration of our current and future relationship with data, this work highlights the journey of data artist Jer Thorp, who, in 2009, created algorithms to inscribe names on the 9/11 Memorial in Manhattan. His project focused on “meaningful adjacencies”—placing family members and coworkers close together. Competing against a team of financial analysts who believed they had the optimal solution, Thorp presented a layout that achieved 99.99 percent of the desired adjacencies, while the analysts only managed about 93 percent. The analysts had analyzed the data but overlooked its representation; Thorp treated each name as a unique unit within a real system, honoring the individuals behind the data. This human-centered approach has characterized Thorp's work across various prestigious institutions and locations, from The New York Times and the Museum of Modern Art to the Library of Congress and beyond. In this narrative, Thorp demonstrates that viewing data through a human lens enhances problem-solving and fosters a healthier relationship with data, emphasizing well-being over the impersonal nature of the “big data” era. There is a path forward that prioritizes personal and community growth through data.