MUSEUM COLLECTIONS: AN EMOTIONAL DATA VISUALIZATION EXPERIENCE Mariela Yeregui Rhode Island School of Design (RISD)
Abstract This project explores the visualization of a museum's textile collection through the medium of embroidery, merging data with tactile and emotional elements. Unlike traditional visualizations that prioritize objectivity and clarity, this approach foregrounds the materiality and subjectivity of data. The visualization takes form on a tablecloth—a symbol of domesticity, intimacy, and community—used here as a culturally resonant and familiar canvas that bridges the gap between abstract data and everyday experience. Embroidering the data onto this surface underscores the labor inherent in both textile making and data construction, challenging the impersonal nature of digital data processing. This method invites viewers to engage with the Museum's collection on a sensory and emotional level, fostering a deeper, more embodied connection. Keywords Emotional data – visualization – textile collection – subjective repository
Introduction In this paper, I reflect on my experience working at the Rhode Island School of Design (RISD) Museum as a professor-researcher and 2022–2023 Faculty Fellowship recipient. Before delving into the specifics of my research, I will briefly outline the key characteristics of the Museum and, in particular, the space where my inquiry took place: the textile art collection, curated by Kate Irvin.