Ever wondered what data sounds like, or why someone would want to sonify data in the first place?

We explored these topics on October 13th at our conference “If (only) Data could talk… From data collection to knowledge creation and communication: challenges & opportunities!”, co-organised with STATEC, as part of our Esch2022 – European Capital of Culture project “The Sound of Data”.

The purpose of this event was for experts and practitioners to discuss the challenges and opportunities around innovation in data modelling and popularization, data journalism and data-driven communication; and in this context to investigate what data sonification and data visualization can bring to the table.

A big thank you to our keynote speakers Duncan Geere & Miriam Quick who introduced us to their Loud Numbers universe; as well as to Jamie Perera, Emma Schymanski, Schwenner Lara, Miriam Quick and Tom Haas who participated in a panel discussion moderated by Patrizia Luchetta.

Watch the recording of the conference to learn more:

About the keynote speakers

Duncan Geere is an information designer based in Helsingborg, Sweden, interested in climate and the environment. He works to communicate complex, nuanced information to a wider audience for clients like Information is Beautiful, the Gates Foundation, and Project Drawdown. He currently works part-time for the climate charity Possible, and he’s also a generative artist and musician.

Miriam Quick is a data journalist, researcher and author who explores novel ways of communicating data. She has written data stories for the BBC, worked as a researcher for Information is Beautiful and the New York Times and co-created artworks that represent data through images, sculpture and sound. Her first book, “I am a book. I am a portal to the universe“, co-authored with Stefanie Posavec, won the Royal Society’s Young Person’s Book Prize 2021.