Mi. - a personal data archive embodied in physical and digital space
Mi. creates awareness of the data you´re sharing, but also offers a space to find out more about yourself.
There is the real world, and then there are metaphors we use to represent that world in an abstracted way.
The transfer of data is something invisible, it is shaped by its immateriality. It is fluid and reacts to the way you engage with your digital environment. Our digital identity consists of physical and digital realities and abstract thoughts that are interacting with a constantly changing world. We change and evolve over time and so does our digital identity.
We produce data continuously and we leave traces behind.
We are connected even when we are not actively trying to. Data is collected and shared continuously. This data is extracted by different entities in our digital environment, as for example Google, Facebook, but also other Apps and Websites. They know what we like, share, upload, but also collect data which isn´t actively produced by tracking us through cookies and beacons. Later on, this data gets interpreted and thereby various digital identities are built. Therefore I raised the question, if it would be possible to create a data archive that is summarizing the data you are sharing and making it accessible in one platform, with the purpose of having a place where your memories melt together, but could also be entangled. We are talking about a highly speculative project, which was not about finding a solution, but far more about exploring this field.
Our digital identity
Identity consists of physical realities and abstract thoughts interacting with a constantly changing world. How do I change and evolve over time? It grows with the individual, collecting multiple factors, through life experiences along the way. Content consumed is an identifying element of a digital self. The collection of information is an identity, as well as content for others to consume. A digital profile could be completely interlaced with a physical person or be a part of multiple online or digital selves on social platforms or the content I consume and share. These identities could either be connected, or completely separated from one another, and act as a compartmentalized extension to the physical self.
How might we find out more about ourselves through our digital identities?
By engaging with your digital self we could open up opportunities to find out more about yourself, like the topics you have been interested in, the way we are connected and the moments we shared with people at a specific tempo spatial point of our life.
Mi. is your personal data archive embodied in physical and digital space. It creates awareness of the data that you share, but also offers a space to find out more about yourself. It consists of two parts which are interconnected. A physical artifact that is mirroring your present data flow and a digital platform that opens up a space where you can explore your past.
The lamp
The light is moving according to the data that gets collected by other entities and therefore creates awareness of your current dataflow. When we trace the movement of the light a data construct is created in physical space. As we can only see the present movement in our physical world, this construct is not visible right away.
The data archive
But it is accessible through a personal data management platform, where we can scroll through and explore our digital identity. The archive is therefore opening up opportunities to find out more about yourself in general. Like the topics you have been interested in, the way you are connected and the moments you shared with people at a specific point of your life.
When looking at your digital data platform, it is possible to filter the traces to only show you the information you are seeking for. In this case I want to see memories, like pictures or videos that are connected to other people. I can also adjust the timeline to only see the data that got tracked over a certain time span.
We are always our past, present and future self. Notions of our past self influence the presence.
Although our digital identity is interlaced with our physical live, it only acts as a compartmentalized extension to our physical self. Mi is not going to answer the question of who you are. But it can be a tool to explore your past and create a space where you can focus and reflect on yourself. MI, my digital identity.
