A playful visualization of serious data.
Suns Explorer is part of a series of projects created by the Harvard Art Museums Department of Digital Infrastructure and Emerging Technology that explores new and unique ways of viewing the museums’ collections.
In Suns Explorer, each group of concentric circles represents an artwork. The colors and behavior are set by the data that describe the work. For example, the time it takes each work to move across the screen is based on the total number of times that object’s page has been viewed on the museums’ public website since 2009—the slower the pace, the more popular the artwork. Use the controller to play with the suns, or take a moment and enjoy the beauty of data.
The data and code for this project (and many others) are open and available to hack, remix, and make your own. Visit hvrd.art/api to learn more.