A data-driven portrait of Barcelona that visualizes the city as an interconnected flow system of human and non-human actors. Hyperview Barcelona is one part of Mirador Torre Glòries, a permanent two-part exhibition that connects the basement of the landmark Torre Glòries with the 144-meter-high observation deck. Each part gives a different perspective on the city. While the observation deck focuses on the visible, combining a spectacular view with an immersive installation by Tomás Saraceno, the basement is dedicated to the invisible: the city as a network of people, materials, energy, and biology.
Rhythms is a holographic installation that visualizes a real-time perspective on the city by combining 10 different live data sources, ranging from weather stations, air quality, and traffic sensors to electromagnetic signals and lidar data, into a highly dynamic story narrated by an A.I. voice.
The story consists of three chapters: flow, pulse, and vibrations. Chapter one focuses on the interaction between airflow and the city grid by using real-time wind data to simulate the urban canyon effect (how air flows through a city) and its effects on trees. Chapter two uses real-time traffic data to visualize the pulse of the city through the movement of people and goods. Chapter three looks at the flow of information through the city as electromagnetic vibrations. It uses an SDR receiver to scan the electromagnetic spectrum in real time and uses cell tower data to transform a high-resolution lidar map, as well as various APIs to monitor recent usage of social media in the city.
Combined with a data-driven musical score by John Talabot, the result is a 7:30-minute volumetric composition that changes with the rhythm of the city.