DataMeditation: Summer School Explores Artistic Research Through Code and Ritual in Reggio Calabria

The first edition of Senseable, a summer school organized by the Accademia di Belle Arti di Reggio Calabria, took place from September 2 to 5, 2024, as part of the O1k0s research ecosystem. Curated by Paola Bommarito and Giacomo Tufano and led by Oriana Persico in collaboration with HER She Loves Data and researchers Carmen Guarino and Debora Pizzimenti, the school focused on DataMeditation—a practice combining data, meditation, and artistic expression. Participants engaged in a digital ritual from August 26 to 29, meditating on their environment with an unknown partner via an app. The in-person sessions included walks, data collection, and a culminating ritual at the Lido Comunale beach, where participants exchanged symbolic gifts. A key component was restoring the original software code by the late Salvatore Iaconesi (co-founder of AOS - Art is Open Source), which was described as 'resurrected' and made adaptable for future use. The school produced artistic installations displayed in a public exhibition opposite the academy, featuring a large heart made of cardboard pixels showing the restored code, data stories, and new versions of the DataMeditation ritual. The project aimed to explore how data can foster sensitivity, participation, and care for the territory, questioning the role of research within art academies.