Bits of You

Located in NEMO’s De Studio in Amsterdam, Bits of You is an interactive exhibition designed to expose the impact our data traces have in our daily life.

In our increasingly digital world, it’s hard to know exactly how much of our personal data we are leaving behind. Bits of You aims to reveal the extent to which our personal data is being collected during our daily activities and routines and how that data can be used to influence our decisions.

Composed of six semi-transparent pavilions, each focussed on a specific subject, the exhibition reveals the past, present and potential future of data collection. Guiding visitors through a sequence of interactions, the exhibition delves into the history of data collection, explains how our data is used today by algorithms to generate predictions about our identity and behaviour, and finally offers a glimpse of what a data-driven future for us might look like.

The second pavilion, and the highlight of the exhibition, was designed to show just how willing we are as users to give up our data. A chair invites visitors to sit down, but they can only do so once they accept cookies. Once they agree and take a seat, a screen plays a video about 4 different people. While the visitor watches, a hidden camera collects data about them. Algorithms make assumptions about their gender and age, how long it took them to accept the cookies and sit down, and whether they are at the exhibition alone or in company. The station finally tells them that they should be more careful about accepting cookies in the future. The visitor has to decide, is this something I feel comfortable with?

Client / NEMO Science Museum
Status / Temporary
Size / 660 m2
Year / 2021
Location / Amsterdam (Netherlands)

Interactives / YIPP
Production / Fiction Factory
Photo / Alessandro Reginato

Our role / Exhibition design, Graphic design
Team / Stefan Fahrngruber, Matteo Renna