11,3 times cycled around the world – data art installation

Disciplines data visualization – installation – design research – photography – editorial design

The story of a grandfather and his bike

I remember a pile of notebooks in a closet. It was my grandfathers diary in which he wrote down all the details het noticed during his bicycle rides from 1973 to 2015. In 2015 I chose these diaries as the subject for my master project. I visualized al these details, not only to get closer in the mind of my grandfather, but also for more scientific and sociological reasons.

Extensive literary search has shown that the graphic design of a certain period is clearly visible in all diaries. The research highlights the evolution of graphic design and lifestyle in this time span of 43 years. The effect of the globalisation starting around the turn of the century is clearly visible in the writing of my grandfather. An example. Before 2000, Belgium and the identity of Flanders were predominant in the diaries but also in the daily life of the people in Flanders. This changed significantly at the turn of the century.

My aim? To give an overview of and insight in the complete biking history of my grandfather and the places he visited. Since a lot of data were available, a key question was how to handle this large amount of information: analysis and digitalisation were key in this respect, along with data visualisation and the choice of the most appropriate concepts and media. An installation seemed the best solution. 3D designs give an extra dimension for information display.

5894 wooden sticks, one for each bicycle ride

The end result is an installation of 4 by 0.5 meter with 5894 hand carved wooden sticks, each of them representing a bicycle ride. Different colours represent the different types of weather. The purchase of a new bike, breakdowns and accidents are indicated by coloured pearls.

And a little book, in this booklet you will learn more about the geographical regions where Camille cycled. From relief to typical agriculture, everything is designed in clear infographics with hand drawn icons. I visited some of my grandfather’s favourite places, to take pictures.