The Lucy Family Institute for Data & Society hosted Yessica Herrera, researcher in network science and computational social science at the Barabási Lab at Northeastern University. Herrera’s work combines AI with data visualization tools to examine structural patterns in creative ecosystems.
Title of Presentation:
“Networks and the Social Complexity of Art”
Description:
Art is one of humanity’s most enduring forms of expression and embodies the dynamics of complex social systems, where individual creativity evolves alongside social structures. This research draws on large-scale data collection to build original datasets from ballet competitions, creative collaborations, and U.S. art museum collections. Through advanced analytics, GPT-based models, and network science, this research maps network structures and quantifies social prestige and influence across creative ecosystems.
This talk explores the value of studying art as a complex system, and presents evidence from two domains:
i. the role of social stratification in shaping the access to professional opportunities and leadership in ballet beyond individual talent; and
Ii. the cross-institutional influence of art philanthropists, quantified by a novel metric, as key drivers of artists’ visibility.
Attendees will gain insights into the interplay of data, art, and society, and discover how interdisciplinary approaches can help reimagine innovation and impact.
About the Speaker:
Yessica Herrera is a researcher in network science and computational social science at the Barabási Lab at Northeastern University, where she works on mapping the social dynamics of the art world. Her work combines AI with data visualization tools to examine structural patterns in creative ecosystems. She previously worked as creative director in science communication for higher education at Universidad Veracruzana, in Mexico, leading award-winning projects across multiple media outlets and educational platforms. She holds a PhD in Social Complexity Science from Universidad del Desarrollo and an MSc in Neuroethology from Universidad Veracruzana. She currently serves on the evaluator committee at Faro UDD and the advisory council of the Dance Data Project.