Creative Responses to Climate Change Data

: How Data-Driven Digital Art Translates Climate Information into Affective Experiences Revealing Human– Nonhuman Interconnections and Fostering Ecological Collaboration

Abstract

Climate change presents urgent challenges to human society, economic stability, and planetary ecosystems. In response, visual art has emerged as a powerful medium for climate engagement, though its transformative potential remains underexplored. My research investigates how data-driven digital art can translate climate data into perceptible, affective experiences that raise public awareness of human–nonhuman interconnections, multispecies entanglements, and ecological cooperation. Three research aims guide this inquiry: (1) to reveal dynamic interactions among humans, nonhumans, and planetary systems; (2) to challenge anthropocentric binaries by exploring multispecies complexity; and (3) to foster new imaginaries of ecological collaboration through participatory artistic creation and exhibition.
My study employs two key methodologies: self-reflexive practice and critical case study analysis. The former reflects on personal creative processes, artistic intent, media selection, visual language, and theoretical grounding, examining how artworks engage audiences and elicit cognitive and ethical responses. Case studies provide empirical grounding, aligning practice with theoretical inquiry. Together, these methods demonstrate how digital art can disrupt dominant climate narratives by transforming abstract data into participatory visual experiences, stimulating reflection on ecological complexity and ethical responsibility.
However, my research also identifies three structural tensions within artistic intervention: the risk of symbolic reduction and moral pressure; asymmetries of representational power; and techno-ecological contradictions arising from the material impact of digital art production. These challenges are critically addressed through creative iteration, audience feedback, and methodological recalibration, culminating in a recursive and reflexive research framework. Ultimately, the study concludes that while data-driven art can reshape public engagement with climate issues, its broader social efficacy remains constrained. Future work should extend cross-cultural collaboration, deepen participatory frameworks, and explore low-carbon artistic strategies to address the ethical and ecological tensions of artistic climate engagement.

Date of Award	6 Dec 2025
Original language	English
Awarding Institution	Teesside University
Supervisor	Azadeh Fatehrad (Supervisor) & Paul Alexander Stewart (Supervisor)