Call for Participants: “Anonymous Was the Data”

The Ida B. Wells Just Data Lab at Princeton University hosts an art project directed by Artist-in-Residence, Chanika Svetvilas that launches Fall 2022. “Anonymous was the Data” looks at mental health and healthcare needs of Asian American and Pacific Islanders (AAPI). It does this through a voluntary survey of AAPI who acknowledge within themselves a mental health difference. The survey questions explore the relationship between mental health difference and healthcare access. Suicide is the leading cause of death among Asian Americans ages 15-24 and Asian American women ages 64+. Racist and xenophobic violence and discrimination can have traumatic impact from generation to generation. Systemic barriers can include lack of access to health insurance and money for co-pays, lack of transportation, and lack of healthcare providers that understand their experience. Each data set collected from the survey will be mapped onto a physical characteristic such as a bubble or twist, which will then, using a 3D printer, be digitized to print as distorted prescription bottles. Collectively, these pieces will fit together as a puzzle and will be available for participants to assemble.“The goal of Anonymous was the Data is for the audience to see mental health data in a new way and apply the information to their locality and personal experience.”

The data collected is individualized and handled with care and resources of support instead of generic clinical statistics. Svetvilas is working with an advisory committee and research associates at the Ida B. Wells Lab. The project will culminate with an interactive installation at the Lewis Center for the Arts, Princeton University in September 2023 and will include a workshop, artist talk, and panel discussion.

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