https://www.kqed.org/arts/13969525/salesforce-tower-light-display-data-visualization-synchronicity
Overview
Every night during December 2024, the crown of the Salesforce Tower shows Greg Niemeyer’s data animation, Synchronicity
Location: San Francisco, CA
Year: 2023 – Present
Purpose
Every night during December 2024, the crown of the Salesforce Tower shows Greg Niemeyer’s data animation, Synchronicity. It’s on from midnight to 1 am, and on Dec 20, 21 and 22, it is on all night long. So if you are near or in San Francisco, look up and enjoy the intricate animated data landscape which celebrates the rhythms and streams of the Bay Area Environment.
Niemeyer begins with a paradoxical observation: unrelated events, when experienced together, can become meaningful. Imagine walking down the street, thinking about a song or book you love, only to cross paths with the author. Coincidence? Perhaps. But these moments often stick with us, leaving an impression that feels deeper than randomness. Psychologist Carl Jung and physicist Wolfgang Pauli called this Synchronicity – the idea that unrelated events occurring simultaneously take on subjective meaning, often revealing our inner states.
Niemeyer argues that perception shapes the world we live in by adding meaning and memorability to a sea of random events. But what if perception does more? If we guide our attention intentionally, could it steer our fate? Could focusing on certain patterns shape the reality we inhabit, helping us choose the version of the world we want to live in? Bringing patterns to our attention that might otherwise go unnoticed, Synchronicity offers a way to perceive many dynamic environmental observations all at once—encouraging us to guide our perceptions towards greater harmony with our environment.
Each element of Synchronicity represents streams of public and scientific measurements reflecting the ever-changing interplay between humans, nature, and the environment from the summer solstice of 2023 to the summer solstice of 2024. The data includes: the length of the day and solar exposure, the rhythm of rain and the quiet persistence of drought, the tremor of seismic activity and the eternal turn of tides, the flow of commuters in and out of the city, the decline of air quality due to human activity, and bonus “Easter Egg” animations marking historical events.
The lifeblood of Synchronicity is data – collected, refined, and shared openly by government-funded science programs. These datasets make the Bay Area’s hidden rhythms accessible, relatable, and memorable.
Implementation/Distribution
Synchronicity invites viewers to look up and celebrate the invisible systems that sustain life, inspire art, and connect us all. Whether it’s the cycles of the planet, the rhythm of data, or the simple act of pausing to notice a moment of coincidence, this work reminds us that we are all part of a shared story – one shaped by nature’s rhythms and human creativity. Through the power of perception, Synchronicity aligns our awareness with the forces shaping our world, offering not just a vision of the environment but a way to harmonize with it.
Impact
Bringing patterns to our attention that might otherwise go unnoticed, Synchronicity offers a way to perceive many dynamic environmental observations all at once – encouraging us to guide our actions towards greater harmony with our environment.
Synchronicity was on view nightly during December 2024 on Salesforce Tower’s crown screen from midnight to 1 am. Around the winter solstice (December 20-22, 2024), the work played all night, offering a moment of reflection as the longest night of the year transitioned to the promise of returning light.
Researchers and Contributors: Jim Campell and Emma Strebel, Chelle Gentemann (NASA), and Lisa Niemeyer; the Day for Night Monthly Artist Program (inviting artists to contribute a vision to Salesforce Tower)
Sponsors: Boston Properties (BXP)