statement

Data is non-neutral.

What that means is that data is the sum of the curatorial process of collecting, classifying, displaying and archiving.
Each of these processes carry an aspect of the non-neutrality, which in its sums creates the understanding of data as being subjective.
When collecting, “data” is collected from premeditated decisions on the collector’s part. These decisions on what is data, means that the data is not object, but rather an example of what the collector deems worthy as data.
Classification is a perspective of the truth, putting reality into boxes. Creating categories meant to both exclude and include what is deemed relevant, creating a structure meant to highlight patterns in data.
Displaying data, is the curator’s form of representing their data reality and visualizing patterns.
Displaying data is meant to evoke reaction and thought in the viewer, often showing inequality, patterns, hidden numbers and progression. In that sense data visualization makes similarities and differences visible, but through the displayer’s lenses.
Archiving is not just non-neutral because of what is chosen to be achieved, but also in the process of deciding how, where and when to archive.
Non-neutrality is present in every aspect of curating data but is expressed differently throughout the entire process. The main reflection point of curating data is therefore a study of what data is in its whole, not just as an absolute truth. The word data is not just a word but a responsibility, which must be understood by the curator.
Coming from an economic discipline, we had many points of differences and questions about data being non-neutral. It made us question how we previously had worked with data and how we largely have treated it as objective in the past.
Throughout the journey of knowledge, we acknowledged that the process of creating data is not neutral, but that does not equal that data is unusable. Data is still just as important and usable when acknowledging it as being non-neutral, because non-neutral does not mean bad.
It is just a statement that provides a context for our previous work, the statement does diminish, it enlightens .