Cultural Data Sculpting: Omnispatial Visualization for Cultural Datasets

This paper presents four research projects currently underway to develop new omnispatial visualization strategies for the collaborative interrogation of large-scale heterogeneous cultural datasets using the worlds´ first 360-degree stereoscopic visualization environment (Advanced Visualization and Interaction Environment - AVIE). The AVIE system enables visualization modalities through full body immersion, stereoscopy, spatialized sound and camera-based tracking. The research integrates work by a group of international investigators in virtual environment design, immersive interactivity, information visualization, museology, visual analytics and computational linguistics. The work is being implemented at the newly established research facility, City University´s Applied Laboratory for Interactive Visualization and Embodiment -- ALIVE) in association with partners Museum Victoria (Melbourne), iCinema Centre, UNSW (Sydney), ZKM Centre for Art and Media (Karlsruhe), UC Berkeley (USA), UC Merced (USA) and and Europeana (in association with Israel Museum of Jerusalem). The applications are intended for museum visitors and for humanities researchers. They are: (1) Data Sculpture Museum, (2) Inside Europeana, (2) Rhizome of the Western Han, (4) Blue Dots AVIE (Tripitaka Koreana).