Lok Yin Pang

The "SANCITY" (新城 Newly Data-driven City) project was created in response to the rapidly evolving concept of Data-driven Smart Cities. In these urban environments, data is not just a by-product of technology but a pivotal force or tool reshaping power dynamics and governance structures. "Data Obelisk" is an installation that embodies how data is colleced, analysed, and utilised in urban settings. Comprising five sets of sensor-laden columns, the artwork reflects the citywide diversity in data acquisition, ranging from a spread of individual sensors to an interconnected network, mirroring a "新城"data-centric nature. The installation metaphorically illustrates the stratification of power within data ecosystems: central sensors amassing comprehensive data symbolise dominant power nodes, secondary sensors signify auxiliary data support akin to the local governance, and tertiary feedback sensors represent the limited public interaction with their data. This embodiment critiques the active yet unequal data acquisition and control in smart cities, serving as a microcosmic representation of power dynamics in the digital urban landscape.