Suns Explorer

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Still image from Suns Explorer, a data visualization developed by Jeff Steward, Director of Digital Infrastructure and Emerging Technology.

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How do we visualize a collection? The Department of Digital Infrastructure and Emerging Technology (DIET) at the Harvard Art Museums designs programs to track, record, and visualize data points associated with the objects in our collections. Visit the Lightbox Gallery to see DIET projects and prototypes for visualizing collections and collections data.

During the Cambridge Science Festival (April 14–23), members of the DIET team will share how projects can be built using the museums’ API (harvardartmuseums.org/collections/api) and will describe strategies for building data visualization projects.

The Lightbox Gallery is a collaborative space for digital projects. Each installation in the Lightbox Gallery is unique, developed by the museums in collaboration with faculty, staff, students, and visiting artists. The Lightbox Gallery uses digital tools to reveal connections between objects and play with the traditions of display. Some projects in the Lightbox Gallery are responsive, allowing users to navigate and manipulate the collections; others are cinematic, transforming the museums into a landscape of digital performance.