From Data to Drama: Visualizing Complexity in Interactive Media Arts

Abstract

This paper explores how contemporary data artists transform abstract datasets into emotionally resonant and visually immersive experiences, a process referred to as the transition "from data to drama." Bridging insights from interactive media theory, aesthetics, and critical data studies, the research examines how complex sociopolitical, ecological, and cultural systems are made perceivable and affectively engaging through artistic visualization. By analyzing seminal works by artists such as Refik Anadol, Laurie Frick, and Ryoji Ikeda, and contextualizing them within theories of performativity, embodiment, and computational aesthetics, the study reveals how interactive media arts not only represent complexity but allow audiences to feel it. This paper proposes that the dramatization of data through visual storytelling opens new possibilities for public understanding, engagement, and ethical reflection on the systems shaping contemporary life.