The Data Reserve explores the concept of data as the raw material of the 21st century. Whereas data was once compared to oil – a scarce and valuable resource – we now face a situation defined not by shortage but by overwhelming abundance. The volume of data has exploded, while its informational value has steadily diminished.

With the rise of generative AI technologies in 2022, the production of data online has become largely automated. Entire data centres now continuously generate synthetic content without human oversight. By 2025, the amount of synthetic data had already surpassed that created by humans.

This work envisions a near-future scenario where the ability to distinguish data from information has been lost. As a result, offline copies of the internet, created before the generative AI breakthrough, have become extremely valuable. The Data Reserve acts as a physical counterpart to gold reserves, reflecting how value shifts through technological paradigm changes. The early internet is presented here as an artefact – a frozen moment contrasted against today’s endless, self-replicating and degenerating data streams.

Part of the exhibition "Unruly Economy" at the The Danish Bank and Savings museum.

The exihibition is running Feb. 8, 2026 → Dec. 6, 2026, Wednesdays 10:00-17:00, Sundays 10:00-16:00, Closed on national holidays

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