Dario Rodighiero is an Assistant Professor of Science and Technology Studies at the University of Groningen, where he is involved in programs that bridge data science with society. Based at the interdisciplinary faculty Campus Fryslân, he coordinates the minor Data Wise and teaches data and visual literacy within the Data Science and Society Bachelor’s program. He maintains active collaborations with Harvard University, where he is a faculty associate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society and a principal at metaLAB—a research and teaching laboratory dedicated to experimenting with digital technologies in the arts and humanities.
Combining computational techniques with design, Dario investigates how complex information can be revealed. Grounded in Science and Technology Studies, his research focuses on the mapping of science: he is the author of Mapping Affinities: Democratizing Data Visualization, which proposes new ways to design organizational charts. His work further engages with digital cultural archives, exploring questions of representation, interpretation, and self-identification. Visualization is approached as a method for knowledge design, bridging critical inquiry and design practice to foster reflection and dialogue by opening new visual modes of understanding.
Dario holds a PhD from the École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL), where he attended the doctoral program Architecture and Sciences of the City. He has held research and teaching positions at MIT, the European Commission, Paris-Sorbonne University, and Sciences Po. The collaboration with Bruno Latour at the médialab shaped his engagement with digital platforms as tools for philosophical inquiry and collective exploration. He lectured at venues such as CERN and Ars Electronica, and exhibited his work at the MAXXI and Harvard Art Museums, reflecting a sustained commitment to public engagement and interdisciplinary collaboration.
Per–Forming Spaces
2025
https://hdl.handle.net/11370/d7e556b3-06df-4c6d-b8fa-5c21003734af
2025
Choreography, Design, and Technology: An Interview with Lins Derry from the metaLAB (at) Harvard
Derry, Lins, Dario Rodighierohttps://hdl.handle.net/11370/d7e556b3-06df-4c6d-b8fa-5c21003734af
In this enlightening interview with Lins Derry, a pioneering researcher at the intersection of dance, design, and technology, we explore the evolution of her groundbreaking work from its conception to its implementation in academia. Derry discusses her journey from professional dancer to leading figure at metaLAB (at) Harvard, emphasizing the integration of choreographic principles into interaction design. Through projects like the choreographic interface and data embodiment, she illustrates the potential of movement as a medium for interpreting and interacting with abstract data. Her work challenges traditional disciplinary boundaries, advocating for a more integrated approach to teaching and research that leverages the expressive power of the body in digital environments. This interview not only highlights Derry’s innovative contributions but also reflects on the broader implications of her work for enhancing sensory and expressive experiences with technology.
Zoomland
2023
Weather Map: A Diachronic Visual Model for Controversy Mapping
Rodighiero, Dario, and Jean Daniélou
https://doi.org/10.1515/9783111317779-017
2023
Weather Map: A Diachronic Visual Model for Controversy Mapping
Rodighiero, Dario, and Jean Daniélouhttps://doi.org/10.1515/9783111317779-017
The Weather Map is a visual model to investigate public debates onmedia. Relying on the Media Cloud archives, the visual model transforms a simplequery into a sophisticated visualization by employing the visual grammar of synop-tic weather charts. Peaks of pressure and clashes between airmasses are used to de-scribe the conflicts in media through the temporal dimension, diving into thehuman and non-human dynamics that make the controversy alive. The WeatherMap was conceived as a digital tool to help students and scholars analyze publicdebates, according to the controversy mapping field founded by Bruno Latour. Inparticular, the visual model pushes the boundaries of network visualization, explor-ing advanced techniques of graphic design. The outcome is a web-based applicationdeveloped in JavaScript and Python at the disposal of education and research.
“Alongside Daniele [Guido] and Donato [Ricci], Dario is part of the ‘Little Italy’ that has set up shop in the AIME offices. Apart from sharing his enthusiasm and insatiable curiosity, Dario has brought along ten years experience in designing digital interfaces. With the others on the team, he has given life and form to the daring insights of both himself and his compatriots.”
— Bruno Latour, Paris 2013