Data Art for Climate Action (DACA) is a dual-hub conference (physical events at two locations that are connected over the Internet) for researchers who focus on the interactive concurrent sonification and visualisation of climate data with a purpose of exploration, awareness, education, and action. DACA will act as a focal point for researchers, artists, activists, and students, to meet, discuss,
and learn from each other. DACA will support a wide, open source dissemination of knowledge. The organisers actively work towards diversity, firstly in regards to gender, age, and geography, and pledge to have equal numbers of men and women among invited speakers. DACA participants will be researchers, academics, and graduate students in arts, computer science, media, journalism, and environmental studies, as well as laymen and interested parties in the general population. The Conference welcomes anyone who works with, or is keen to know more about, open-source geodata in order to explore ways to communicate research findings in novel modalities. We reach out to climate scientists who are interested in sonification for dealing with their own data. The overarching goal of DACA is to support scientists and artists who seek to work more closely together and create perceptualisations of climate data that excite and surprise people. DACA aims to inspire researchers and artists to direct their passion and skills towards meaningful efforts to stem global heating and for sustainable development within planetary boundaries. Experience shows that it might not be sufficient to tell people that ‘the average temperature risks rising by 2.5˚ Celsius within your lifetime’ or to show them charts with curves pointing upwards. Sonifying climate data into a time-symbol for listening can embody the experience of climate development and make it felt. Simultaneous visualisation of the same data into a stream of colours and shapes can immerse the viewer and make the underlying message emerge strongly. Climate scientists and artists aligning their efforts to communicate data better will increase the general awareness of climate change among children, laymen, and experts alike, and stir them into action. Both sonification and visualisation are processes of data perceptualization, with aesthetic and practical ramifications. As in human-computer interaction research, it is essential to involve perceptual evaluation in the iterative design loop. It hinges on understanding sensory processing, cognitive load, and cross-modal correspondences. Data art is the study, interpretation, and representation of scientific measurements in ways that excite and surprise. While science speaks through words, numbers, and diagrams, art communicates through movement, images, sound, and sculpture. Working together, artists and scientists can reach further and engage more people in concerted action towards a common goal. The Conference reaches out to artist-scientists who create spectacular audiovisual data displays that explicate, clarify, and highlight large-scale climate developments. It aims to increase awareness of global sustainability goals and stimulate action among both experts and general audiences. Join the Conference and explore possibilities to fuse climate action and data art. DACA will be a focal point and physical/online meeting-place to allow researchers, artists, and activitsts to exchange best practices and experiences. We aim to stimulate a renewed look at what artists can do for science, and how scientists can approach art as a means for discovery and communication. In the spirit of DACA, we will not promote flying, and instead encourage travel by train or online participation via the Internet.
