Well the author says in the conclusion that they don't think that they're particularly readable, but from an artistic point of view they're definitely more interesting.
Even if it isn't a success, I would like to encourage this kind of experimentation with data visualisation.
I agree with Stuk, data visualisation is all about capturing the users attention and interest besides giving out information . Maybe its not apt for a police station soft board but a junior school teacher on the other hand might find it useful
You sound as if "giving out information" is a secondary goal of data visualization, while I would argue that capturing the user's attention and interest are.
Even if it isn't a success, I would like to encourage this kind of experimentation with data visualisation.