| Year | 2026 |
| Credits | A/Prof Zoë SadokierskiAssociate Head of School (Research), Design & Co-Director, Visualisation InstituteFacilitator Dr Monica MoninCourse Director of Visual Communication & Critical Visualisation Research Group, ConvenerFacilitator Prof Mitchell WhitelawAssociate Professor, Design, School of Art, ANUALA Lens Dr Sarah Jane JonesSenior Lecturer, School of Design Discipline of Visual CommunicationType Trails Dr Justin HarveyLecturer SoCSS Discipline of MediaNot Bot Thomas RicciardielloData Arena Visualisation DeveloperProject Support & Weapons of Slow Destruction |
| Links | |
| 3D Stereo | No |
| Tags | event metadata research symposium |
Data Salon: Disrupting Cultural Metadata
On the 25th of June 2026, the Data Arena hosted part of the Disruptive Methods symposium. In collaboration between the UTS Visualisation Institute and the Sydney Cultural Network, a series of sessions were hosted in the Data Arena. These sessions showcased researchers engaging in archival material, which included presentations in the theatre as well as hands-on activities in the lobby area. A large turnout of UTS staff (academic and professional), industry creatives and GLAM professionals created a vibrant energy throughout the afternoon.
The workshops and presentations that took place are listed below.
Metadata Workshops
In the Data Arena lobby, a participatory speculative metadata workshop led by Monica Monin and Zoë Sadokierski invited guests to write descriptions for “objects that have little to say about themselves.”
Type Trails
Type Trails by Sarah Jane Jones explores the potential of typography as a system for storytelling in urban wayfinding design
ALA Lens
ALA (Atlas of Living Australia) Lens by Mitchel Whitelaw adapted for the Data Arena display encourages exploration and discovery of species, data and place.
Not Bot
Justin Harvey’s experimental LLM interface Not Bot blended performance with AI spectacle in a humorous and provoking live conversation.
Weapons of Slow Destruction
Weapons of Slow Destruction by the Data Arena team, Omid Tofighian, Elahe Zivardar and Janey Li presents the archive as a tool of knowledge and creative resistance.
For more information on any of these projects, reach out to the creators listed in the credits sidebar to the left.