Bridge Art

Data-Command moves data. When we were initially hired to create art from data, the thought of merging the databases with artistry to make a work of digital beauty, the enormous task at hand excited us.

It was a high traffic bridge with a digital screen that all passers-by would see. The art had to incorporate important real-world data into a pleasing digital output. Furthermore, the output had to change quickly and easily. The change had to be automated, or prompted by an administrator far away.

The ability to make art while still maintaining aesthetic appeal and simultaneously displaying  information (like river level, or current) proved to be a fun and formidable task.

Data-Command’s bridge display was contracted on a bridge that had no existing internet capabilities. For this reason, the client requested to have cell-phone connectivity to the bridge. Data-Command, of course, had the solution.

With cellular connections to the bridge, Data-Command gained control over the digital displays. In its incorporation with the river level monitoring, Data-Command installed an alert system: if the river level rose too quickly or too high, Data-Command would automatically warn necessary authorities by means of text messaging.

When we brought the bridge online, spectators were openly in awe of the spectacular montage of digital beauty, morphing as the viewers watched. Unbeknownst to the spectators, the changes in art were fueled by the changes in the river.