Close to trillion dollars a day changes hands globally in foreign exchange transactions. Only 15 percent corresponds to actual commodities or capital. The incredible speed of the New York Stock Exchange’s Superdot electronic order routing system means that the Dow Jones can swing back and forth by more than 50 points in a matter of minutes. These conditions bring about a condition known as “data panic” a feeling of insecurity and anxiety that engulfs every transfer of digital information, from international trade to electronic banking.
Data Panic combines images of computers, tape streamers, ATMs, terminals, workstations, printers, status indicators, traces and scans with computer animated icons, diagrams, pictograms, error messages, warnings, numbers, barcodes and binary digits. An advertorial style voice over narrates a non-sensical computer generated text interspersed with information technology advertising slogans.
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Our collection comprises over 40,000 moving image works, acquired and catalogued between the 1940s and early 2000s. As a result, some items may reflect outdated, offensive and possibly harmful views and opinions. ACMI is working to identify and redress such usages.
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Collection
In ACMI's collection
Previously on display
22 April 2019
ACMI Viewing Booths
Credits
Collection metadata
ACMI Identifier
B1005587
Language
English
Audience classifications
G
Mediatheque - all ages (ACMI classified)
Subject categories
Sound/audio
Sound
Colour
Colour
Object Types
Artwork
Materials
Single channel moving image, colour and audio
Holdings
Digital Betacam; Master
Digital Betacam; Sub-master
VHS [PAL]; Reference - timecoded
CD ROM; Master
MOV file H264; ACMI Digital Access Copy - presentation
MPEG-4 Digital File; ACMI Digital Access Copy - overscan
MOV file ProRes4444; Digital Preservation Master - overscan