The School of Data Science recently held a competition with a theme of “Our World,” which attracted 130 submissions from artists in nine countries. Out of these entries, eight finalists were recognized and awarded at a public event. The grand prize was given to Julia Daser and Pepi Ng from The New School in New York for their winning entry based on the competition’s theme.
Some of the other finalists’ entries included “Reef Generations” by UVA music professor Matthew Burtner and “LA AQI: 1980-2024” by artist Steve Haske, which represented the air quality index ratings of Los Angeles over four decades. Additionally, the public was able to vote for a People’s Choice Award, which received over 800 votes. The winner of this award was 2019 UVA alum Peter Cybriwsky for his real-time generative and data art installation titled “Nebulae.”
Cybriwsky’s installation focuses on visualizing environmental changes in Charlottesville, such as brightness, humidity, temperature, barometric pressure, and CO2 levels. The School of Data Science plans to hold more data art competitions in the future and use the building’s exhibition space for artist showcases and collaborations with K-12 art programs. The finalists’ work will be on display in the School of Data Science building for the rest of the year, inviting the public to come explore the artwork and the building’s permanent data science sculpture.
