Wattenberg, Martin

Martin Wattenberg

Martin Wattenberg is a researcher at IBM and founding manager of IBM's Visual Communication Lab whose work focuses on visual explorations of culturally significant data. His algorithmic approach is based on his background in mathematics. Wattenberg is known for his scientific and applied work in the field of information visualization and its application to collaborative computing, journalism and bioinformatics as well as for his information-based digital artwork. In his work, the mathematical underpinnings of a computer program are not simply tools used to create art; they are the core of the artworks themselves. Technology Review recently named him "one of the world's 100 top young innovators."

Wattenberg's artwork has been exhibited at The London Institute of Contemporary Art, The Whitney Museum of American Art, Ars Electronica, The New Museum, and at galleries and festivals internationally. Commissions include The Smithsonian National Museum of American History, The NASA Art Program, New Radio and Performing Arts Inc., The Walker Art Center and others.

His projects have been honored by the Columbia Journalism School Online Journalism Award and the National Magazine Award (with SmartMoney.com), the ID Magazine Interactive Media Design Review, the IDSA Industrial Design Excellence Award, and the Graz Biennale of Media and Architecture (with Marek Walczak).

Martin Wattenberg and Marek_Walczak Marek Walczak started 1997 a collaboration called MW2MW on which they both continue to present creative work in the field of information-based digital artwork.

Previous to his work at IBM, Wattenberg was R&D Director at SmartMoney.com and developed an informative market visualisation, called Map of the Market in 1998.

Wattenberg received his Ph.D. in mathematics from U.C. Berkeley, M.S. from Stanford University, and A.B. from Brown University.

External Links

• Martin Wattenberg's Home Page
• history flow Visualizing wiki web document evolution
• NameVoyager Java Applet to explore baby names' popularity histories

Interesting Work

• 2008 Thinking Machine a chess game which visualises the thinking process of an AI opponent.
• 2008Flesh Map several visualisations of desire categorized into touch, look and listen. Tries to find answers on questions like "where would we like to be touched" or "what body parts caracterize which music".
• 2007 Many Eyes a platform which allows everybody to share data, create visualisations, analyze and interpret it in several ways.
• 2005 Name Voyager displays the popularity of names over time.
• 1998 Map of the Market an interactive visualisation of stock performance vased on tree maps.

References

[Wattenberg, 2005] Martin Wattenberg, www.bewitched.com - About, Retrieved at: August 29, 2005. http://www.bewitched.com/about.html