Week 1 12/09/22

After delving into how displaying sets of data in our Workshop on Tuesday, I was inspired to look into how different information can be displayed in interesting and interactive ways. 

I read about an installation by Richard Vijgen called "Eternal Blue", shown at the University of Maastricht. In 2019, the university was the victim of a cyber attack. All of the universities information was encrypted and locked behind a Bitcoin ransom.

The piece is a sphere covered in individual LEDs that represent the 24 hours of any given day. Each attempt at an attack is depicted by a red, green and yellow lights, reflecting the intensity of the attacks. It is displayed as a timekeeping device that shows the reinforced security of the university. I found this incredibly interesting, and its dual purpose as an educational exhibit and also a monument for a historical moment in the university's history is very compelling to me. 

In my own project, I would like to pursue a similar way of displaying collected information in a beautiful and intriguing way. I think this exhibit could be improved by incorporating an interactive element, perhaps by allowing visitors to select individual attacks and learning more about them as they happen in real time.