Bodies of Empathy: A Data Driven Approach to Fashion Design by Mufaro Mukoki

What if we could wear data? What if we could feel it? You are invited to embody data through fashion and wearable technology! Five corsets on display are available to try on. Each “corset” represents the average yearly study permit rejection rates by continent of birth provided by the IRCC (Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada). The rejection rate is mapped to the size and the kinetic movement of the “corset”. The higher the rejection rate, the bigger the “corset” and the faster the “ heartbeat.” The lower the rejection rate, the smaller the “corset” and the slower the “ heartbeat.” The overall rejection rate is considered as the “normal heartbeat.”