JULIETA ARCO
A scientific-artistic concept that is driven by a genuine curiosity to measure the artistic process and express the scientific method. I fuse science and art by using data analysis tools — a practice I call DataTelling — to analyse makeup expressions, and makeup techniques from art, which I call MakeupTelling — to express analytical concepts.
My research experience is based on analyzing system dynamics using natural proxies. A proxy is an indirect variable used to infer information about something that cannot be directly measured. Thus, I extract the data encoded in proxies and I convert it into useful information using data science techniques. By doing this, I uncover patterns, trends and changes that provide valuable insights about the system and its complexity, guiding a deeper understanding. I call this process DataTelling.
Why Data Science?
Because enables the analysis of all types of data — from qualitative to quantitative, from videos and images to text and numbers. It offers powerful tools to collect, organize, analyze, and interpret data to extract meaningful insights.
"Study the science of art. Study the art of science. Develop your senses—especially learn how to see. Realize that everything connects to everything else." -– Leonardo Da Vinci
As a visual artist, I focus my practice on analysing human behaviour and expression using makeup proxies. By using different makeup techniques, I uncover beliefs, emotions, patterns and subconscious insights that are encoded as personal and social data. By analyzing this data through an innovative multidisciplinary approach, I convert this data into meaninfgul insights, enriching our understanding of the human experience. I call this process MakeupTelling.
Why Makeup?
Because is versatile but constrained to a specific moment, applied directly to the skin — the body’s largest organ and the bridge between the inner self and the outer world. It becomes a powerful canvas for exploration and expression, capable of revealing and evoking deep, meaningful insights in a tangible, concrete and embodied way.
"The aim of art is not to represent the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." – Aristotle
Science and art as two ends of the same spectrum—each offering a unique lens to explore, interpret, and express the world around us. Through Data Makeup, I aim to fuse these perspectives: structuring artistic expression with logic and reasoning through MakeupTelling, and enriching analytical exploration with creativity, emotion, and intuition through DataTelling. I envision Data Makeup as a pioneering artistic-scientific movement—a new space for exploration, discovery, and awareness.
