Natalie Jeremijenko

Zoe Beloff recommended that I look into Natalie Jeremijenko, and I'm glad she did. Her work is a good example of the meeting of science/tech and social/political in art. Featuring physical manifestations of digital data- such as "Dangling String" (a string that vibrates with network traffic) and "Bull Ride" (a mechanical toy bull ride which moves tracking the 1987 stock market crash- I feel is a powerful way to communicate the abstract nature of data. As data interaction, and aggregation, becomes ever more accessible, understanding that data becomes ever more pertinent, and addressing that understanding becomes ever more a subject for the arts. I feel that Natalie Jeremijenko has been work with data well, and has been encouraging the public to be aware of the roll technology is playing in their lives, for better or worse.

Artist Biography
Natalie Jeremijenko (born 1966) is an artist and engineer whose background includes studies in biochemistry, physics, neuroscience and precision engineering. She is an active member of the net.art movement, and her work primarily explores the interface between society, the environment and technology. She is currently an Associate Professor at NYU in the Visual Art Department, and has affiliated faculty appointments in Computer Science and Environmental Studies.

Art is I; science is we.
— Claude Bernard, In Lily Splane, Quantum Consciousness (2004)

Many arts there are which beautify the mind of man; of all other none do more garnish and beautify it than those arts which are called mathematical.
— Henry Billingsley, The Elements of Geometric of the most ancient Philosopher Euclide of Megara (1570), Note to the Reader.

"Dangling String" is an 8 foot piece of plastic spaghetti that hangs from a small electric motor mounted in the ceiling. The motor is electrically connected to a nearby Ethernet cable, so that each bit of information that goes past causes a tiny twitch of the motor. A very busy network causes a madly whirling string with a characteristic noise; a quiet network causes only a small twitch every few seconds

HowStuffisMade
(HSIM) is a visual encyclopedia that documents manufacturing processes, labor conditions and environmental impacts involved in the production of contemporary products. Entries are summative photo essays produced by students who are guided by faculty responsible for ensuring appropriate citations and standards of evidence. Students engage the cooperation of manufacturers when possible. As an independent, academic, wiki-based publication, HSIM reconsiders engineering and design education as fundamentally connected to the social and political constraints, organizational innovations and global context that inform manufacturing decisions.


The BullRide lets you ride the 1987 StockMarket Crash. Proposed to NYSE. Other rides in this series also translate abstract information into rideable experiences.


Elevator Interface
Instructions: this elevator recognizes 'up' and 'down' in Spanish. There is no English language override, leaving many people stuck.

Link to an interview with the artist - Cross-Species Dining: An Interview with Natalie Jeremijenko and Mihir Desai

Link to gallery representing artist

Link to artist website

More info






Natalie Jeremijenko "Lifestyle Experiments" (Lift09 EN)
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