Data  Sculpture


A kinetic data sculpture mapping the collective anxiety of world news to a physical breathing rate.

This kinetic data sculpture externalizes the relentless pace of digital information into a mechanical, biological rhythm. By tethering a custom kinetic fan to live updates from Reddit’s r/worldnews, the piece creates a tangible manifestation of global events. The result is a machine that breathes in response to the volatility of our shared reality—moving from slow, lazy breaths during quiet periods to rapid, gasping inhalations when breaking news floods the feed.


Year
Media2026
Data Visualization, Kinetic Sculpture & Physical Computing.




THE DATA: ALGORITHMIC RESPIRATION


The sculpture serves as a physical proxy for the pace of human information consumption. Every 60 seconds, the system queries the r/worldnews feed to determine its respiratory pace:

SPEED: The frequency of posts dictates the breathing rate. A high volume of updates causes the fan to cycle rapidly, mirroring a panic response.

SPREAD: The mechanical extension of the fan reflects the uniqueness of the data. New, unique headlines push the fan to its fullest expansion, while a repetitive news cycle results in shallow, restricted movement.

Regular News - Normal Breathing
Little News - Slow Breathing
More News - Fast Breathing


TECHNICAL ARCHITECTURE


The project balances precise mechanical control with a structural, minimalist aesthetic:

HARDWARE: The sculpture is driven by an ESP32 microcontroller and a high precision stepper motor, allowing for the fluid, micro controlled movements required to simulate natural breathing.

FABRICATION: The internal housing is a 3D printed enclosure designed for mechanical stability, while the external aesthetic is defined by a custom laser cut frame and a pleated fan that translates rotational motion into a dramatic physical spread.


By transforming a digital feed into a physical presence, the sculpture forces a confrontation with the weight of our news cycles, turning abstract data into an undeniable, breathing part of the room.


SPACIAL VISUALIZATION

This mockup explores the sculpture’s presence within a gallery environment. By scaling the mechanical "breath" to an architectural level, the digital news cycle becomes a shared physical atmosphere. The visualization highlights the tension between the structural precision of the kinetic fan and the vast stillness of the space, turning global information into a rhythmic, environmental pulse.


Generated with Gemini Nano Banana 2 to simulate installation scale and atmospheric intent.