Julie Freeman

Bio:

• Julie Freeman translates complex processes and data from natural sources into kinetic sculptures, physical objects, images, sound compositions and animations. Through her art practice, she explores relationships between science and the natural world; questioning the use of technology in how we translate and experience nature – whether it is through a swarm of zoomorphic butterflies responding to air pollution levels; a lake of fish composing sounds; a pair of mobile concrete speakers that lurk in galleries spewing sonic samples; by providing an interactive platform from which to view the flap, twitch and prick of dogs’ ears; enabling a colony of naked mole-rats to generate animation; or using a navigable soundscape inside virtual reality to understand binary pulsars. Freeman’s background and training are an equal mix of computer scientist and artist which she describes as a single discipline for her. She has had work shown at leading UK institutions including the V&A, the ICA, Kinetica, Open Data Institute, Barbican Centre, and the Science Museum, as well as internationally. Freeman is a TED senior fellow and Nesta arts fellow. Her work has been supported by the Wellcome Trust, Arts Council England, and EPSRC. In 2012 she established the Open Data Institute‘s Data as Culture art program. She holds a PhD from the School of Electronic Engineering and Computer Science at the Queen Mary University of London, awarded for a thesis titled Defining Data as an Art Material.

Role(s):

• Artist