Monumental Data.Making information tangible in the complexity of a ‘data-based’ world

A research assignment involving the historic center of our town has recently allowed us to frame the presentation of data within a new perspective. Part of the European Funded programme MedGaims, aimed at exploring gamification as a way to enhance the touristic experience, the project was aimed at responding to two key demands. In the first place, our Playful Itinerary was thought as a comprehensive presentation of a larger enterprise, the Play Alghero programme – a composite effort including ten different games, either in the physical and in the virtual domains. Scattered through the old city’s centre, our ‘itinerary’ was then aimed at providing to the overall programme a robust visual identity. Secondly, the system we created was meant to highlight the city’s spirit of place in a playful and engaging way. Part of these aspects being its rich historical layering, its natural environment, local stories and games, elements of the local tangible and intangible culture and of the experiences of those whowehiother leiviethienrAlghleivreo or juinst visAitlgith. ero or just visit it. This general design framework lead us to explore an unedited technique of data visualisation, which we have jokingly dubbed “data vulcanization”, as it deals with establishing a direct correlation between information and system of solid – although unexpectedly soft – rubber-based surfaces, in which in our design were symbolically meant to embody extremely volatile data connected with tourism in the rather solid and ‘monumental’ installations we created for the projec