who worked on the project?

The project will investigate fundamental research on scientific data and the way these different disciplines (chronobiology, experimental psychology and meteorology) can communicate. The evaluation will deal with the quality of restitution and of communication of this investigation, as well as with the pedagogical aspect of the scientifical part and the way scientific data can be part of the design process. Project D A T A S K Y consists in reconnecting humans with the natural elements (light, sky…) and in reestablishing an equilibrium within the living area where time will be respected and in adequation with our biological system. The main concept is to extract data from the sky and to visualise it inside the home. The project will be a research on meteorology and its new technologies: how to extract data from the sky? How to measure the light intensities? The movements? How to transcript them inside the home? Which kind of new light technologies should be used? This research will start with the problem of insomnia and technology dependency. The main partner of the project DATA SKY is the Care Design Lab of Amsterdam, with Dajo Badisco Massink. He will allow Valentine to set up a testing session inside the Lab and we will organize an exhibition of restitution of the research, and create a testing session inside the Care Design Lab. More than restitution, the exhibition aims to create a pedagogical value regarding Gen.Z. The Care Design Lab is a space of inclusivity where design is questioned and practised around the notion of care, that is to say: how to take care? To care about others? How to activate care in society? Valentine will evaluate how the exhibition will present videos of different interviews. Valentine aims to question how these data on chronobiologies, meteorology and care psychology can be restituted and used in a design process. Indeed, these videos aim to create an overview of these different disciplines, of the way they can exchange, how can they support each other and how this knowledge of science, psychology and therapy can be part of a design process. Furthermore, Valentine will create a testing session inside the Care Design Lab: the code created during the program will be set up inside the Care Design Lab to test its efficiency and the light result. The expertise involves scientists in Chronobiology (a scientifical research that aims to consider time as the process of the human body) and understanding how light impact the circadian sensitivity of human. This research on chronobiology aims to be a collaboration with scientists from the BioClock Institute, a research lab from Tue Eindhoven.

The BioClock consortium aims to promote the health of the biological clock across society by developing and implementing lifestyle changes and lighting strategies for use at work, school or in domestic space. It aims to improve patient care through the application of chronobiology to medical and clinical practice. Furthermore, the BioClock centre develops sustainable and non-invasive strategies designed to minimise the negative effects of light pollution on biological clocks in nature. To explore technology and how to extract Data from the Sky, the aim is to collaborate will be done the KNMI: Meteorologisch Institut of the Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat The aim is to extract data from the sky: its pattern, brightness and movements and to transcript inside the home. Valentine will investigate research on how to extract this information and transpose it. KNMI is a national knowledge and data centre for weather, climate and seismology. Reliable, independent and focused on the needs of the Netherlands, KNMI provides reliable and consistent measurements, data and forecasts that form the basis for important decisions that keep the Netherlands safe. Climate scientists map climate risks, both for the Netherlands and for the world. They look beyond today’s weather. KNMI researchers show how the climate will change in the coming decades. And map the consequences. Based on new technologies and the way they can support our bio-rhythmicity, the aim is to hire experts to create the code for future objects.

The main expert will probably be Luis Ferreira, a Creative coder based in Eindhoven. Luis Ferreira is a researcher in new technologies and explores the data-light interaction through installations. Furthermore, Valentine will evaluate the qualities of the samples with the use of light technologies and study how we can create a sensitive relationship with these technologies. The research will take place in her workshop in the Care Design Lab. The aim is to create a data code where there is the possibility to adapt the light intensity regarding its sanitary effect. Valentine will evaluate the sanitary aspect of the light: its qualities of diffusion, colour, and intensity. She will also evaluate the sensitive and esthetic qualities of the sample and study the way it can be applied to a functional and enjoyable object. This multiplicity of partners will allow the creation of social inclusion, through dialogue and collaboration between different disciplines based in the Netherlands.

what is the project about?

The project D A T A S K Y consists in reconnecting humans with the natural elements (light, sky…) and in reestablishing an equilibrium within the living area where time will be respected and in adequation with our biological system. The main concept is to extract data from the sky and to visualise it inside the home. The project will be a research on meteorology and its new technologies: how to extract data from the sky? How to measure the light intensities? The movements? How to transcript these data inside the home? Which kind of new light technologies should be used? This research will start with the problem of insomnia and technology dependency. I analyse insomnia from the lens of the z-Gen, who grew up with laptops and smartphones that disturb our relationship with time, and with body and sleep management: the mostly blue wavelengths we receive impact our circadian rhythm and biological clock. This analysis is based on chronobiology theories, experimental psychology and the philosophical approach to the ecology of care. The first step of the project will therefore be a transversal research between health care and new technologies. I base the project on the notion of Unlearning, that is to say: unlearning the digital time and taking into account the time of the earth. The idea is to reconnect humans with their natural phenomena. So as to obtain this « resynchronization », the proposed object will reconnect humans with the light of the sky. It will be connected all day long to the real sky. It will be a bit like daydreaming and observing the clouds, a positive act of imagination mentioned by the french philosopher Gaston Bachelard. The act of Day Dreaming is essential to building a healthy and social construction. In this case, my application for the Starting Grant, before prototyping, will allow me to explore new technologies, experimental psychology, chronobiology and meteorology. The first step will consist in interviews with scientists in psychology, meteorology and chronobiology, from the BioClock centre research, the National Research Center on Meteorology, and the Care Lab Center. There will be data restitution with an internet site including videos, interviews and data.

The second step will be to make deep research on new technologies, such as lux meter, pixels, coding and data meteorology. It is fundamental research that wants to create a sensitive relationship with light technologies. I will present a series of samples combining various materials aimed at checking the sanitary aspect of light. These samples aim to combine nano led, that is to say, pixels, with a series of diffusers. The artistic intention is to create a sensitive and delicate relationship to our light technology. This part will be fundamental and will be experimental research on the material, diffusion, and diffraction. In terms of design language, the samples will be a research on the way to combine electronic circuits with sensitive material, the way to find the good diffusion of light… I will combine nano pixel led with a diffusion of light such as UV print and sand plexiglass to find a better diffusion of light. Furthermore, I aim to combine sensitive materials such as copper, and brass, and elegant, equilibrated patterns to create an enjoyable and sensitive relationship with light technology. In addition to that, the creation of samples and light coding will be done with the help of researchers on chronobiology so as to find a good light diffusion in adequation to the human eyes and to circadian sensitivity. The concept and positioning of my project are to not avoid light technology but to live with it in a different way. I am questioning the place of technology in our daily life and the health issues that could arise from it. How to create a sensitive relationship with our light technology? If we follow the words of doctor Benjamin Smarr, chronobiologist, we need to look at blue in the morning and orange at night. It is not just a fact of switching on or off – it is re-installing a new daily routine to recreate a new relationship with these light technologies.

what has happened with the project since it was developed?

Currently, in conversation with the BioClock institute and the Meteorologist institute, I currently start research to understand meteorology and how to extract the data of the sky and especially its brightness and colour. I aim to analyse the spectrum of light and the specific wavelength and how it can be applied to our circadian rhythm. I am currently working on the restitution of Data of Sky. I am analysing the light spectrum of the sky depending on the time passing and how it can be applied to chronobiologies theories.

For this, I am extracting data from the Sky with a small camera that has the capacity to analyse the spectrum of the light and follow the information from the meteorologist Institut.

I am analysing the brightness and wavelength of the sky.

Furthermore, based on the notion of neuroaesthetic, I am currently starting fundamental research on pixels and light and how can it be considered as healthy light and I am working on a series of samples that aims to explore the notion of equilibrium: how the object on itself can bring a certain calm to the user.

what are you working on now?

I am currently working on the restitution of the interview from the Bio clock institute and the meteorologist Institute; I start plastic research on the extraction of Data from the Sky and start to code to associate the camera to the nano pixels led. Furthermore, I start research on data restitution such as measuring the light intensity and how it can be applied to chronobiologies theories.

The project is transversality research between new technologies and meteorology and understanding how can we link metereology with our internal clock.

I am still in the first phase so the research on coding and meteorology and also the coding part to the pixel,

You can find attached the presentation of the project and the video of for the Stimulering Funds: https://vimeo.com/739701334