JULIETA ARCO
A scientific-artistic concept where 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.
"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
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.
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.
"The aim of art is not to represent the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance." – Aristotle
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.
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.