Data-ism :

Dataism // Reviving Absent Perception

This text is an introduction to Dataism, a term I use to define my creative process across different media. It embodies assimilation, appropriation, reinterpretation, and an ongoing dialogue with external influences—more than a technique, it’s a way of navigating curiosity.

I’m often asked about dataism, yet my responses have been vague, constrained by time. In essence, it reflects our daily absorption of information, particularly within art, resisting a singular definition. It’s subjective, tied to time and memory, and requires further clarification.

For me, dataism is an instinctive engagement with images—detecting hidden meanings, uncovering layers, and diverting visual narratives in ways that mirror our era. There’s no single method; each person brings their own curiosity and perspective. It’s an exercise in observation, exploration, and ultimately, creation.

This process demands a nuanced understanding of imagery and self. Reviving an older image through collage creates new associations—akin to Max Ernst’s A Week of Goodness, where juxtaposition alters perception. This revival can take many forms: bold overlays of abstract color (Sur/Face), duplicated imagery (Duplicity), or layered portraits inspired by Lucas Simoes, where perception “tilts.”

Beyond still images, movement plays a role. A GIF, for example, can animate an image, much like Jean Tinguely’s kinetic art, introducing a second layer of meaning that reshapes its context. Action & perpetual movement.

Dis-Place

This approach requires no complex tools—simple digital manipulations echo traditional montage techniques. Symmetries, rotations, and overlays set the foundation, but there are no limits. The only rule: do it your way.

Social networks add another dimension. Selecting a random posted image, modifying it, renaming it, and reintegrating it into the same network creates a ripple effect—a cycle of reinterpretation. Acknowledging sources and origins is essential; it’s not about ownership but about embracing curiosity and exchange with humility.

A Political Undertone

Dataism also intersects with resistance. In the 1960s, Jiri Kolar’s collages—his rollages and pliages—were acts of defiance in Soviet-controlled Czechoslovakia, exposing the “invisible visible.” Art, in this sense, becomes a disruption of conformity.

For me, dataism is a means to facilitate dialogue—an interface between influences, ideas, and people.
A simple goal: exchange.