Can data be
a medium of art?
What is data?
In my mind, data are essentially traces. It is the residue of all human actions, thoughts and felt emotions preserved in the form of 0s and 1s. Delving into data is an act of examining the traces of our past as human beings. As the development of technology opens up new mediums and forms of expression, I seek to explore the potential of data as a medium for artistic expression.
Can
quant research become art?
plots be aesthetic?
This is my most useless and unproductive attempt at finding alpha
As a quant seeking market alpha, the endeavor to visualize data aesthetically may seem useless and counterproductive. However, I see such area as an unexplored realm of art. I present ‘useless’ to you, my exploration of the crypto market data through generative art. As a quant researcher, I believe that crypto data best captures the irrational madness of our times.
This market is a living creature that is destructive and chaotic yet beautiful. In their desire to be wealthy, people are sucked into crypto like a moth to a flame. The artwork presents the whole market to the viewer, expressed in various forms of different market data.
It is overwhelming yet there is a mixture of awe, fear, elation, joy, dismay, hope, frustration, and mesmeric frenzy. This collection explores a new field of generative art where no one has yet dared to try. It explores the the uncharted territories blending precision and aesthetics. All pieces were drawn using Python and Matplotlib, which are the same tools I use everyday for my quantitative research.
How I Plot
The input data consists of a range of datasets, including spot data, futures data, exchange data, and on-chain data, which are utilized for quantitative research and trading purposes.
The data undergoes a set of preprocessing and operations to adjust the distribution, where each column (field) is mapped to attributes such as coordinates, size, color, and rotation. This transforms the datapoints into individual dots within the plot.
