#098 Visible / Invisible
From closed-circuit cameras to IP cameras and webcams, the mechanical eye for observation and recording is constantly being upgraded. Nowadays, we are trapped in a surveillance network formed by cameras. These include cameras installed by the government and businesses that are working over our heads without breaks as well as the cheap webcams used by citizens to monitor their private properties, families, and pets. In addition, Covid has also boosted the use of thermal cameras, which can detect our body temperature and determine whether we can access certain public spaces. There seems to be no place left for humans to hide.
For this new channel programme Visible / Invisible, Zheng Wan dived into the IMPAKT archive to research our relation to camera surveillance. The video artworks selected here show that we don’t have to be overly pessimistic. Along with surveillance technologies, camouflage and escape strategies have also evolved. The battle between cameras and humans over visibility is always ongoing.
With works by: Tran T. Kim-Trang, Michelle Teran, Jean-Pierre Sens, Joachim Friis, Kyle Mcdonald, Martine Stig and Mert Akbal, Frederic Ehlers and Luca Forcucci.
This Channel programme was created by Zheng Wan during her internship in 2021
Films in this programme
(USA 1997, video, 21:00)
(NL 1997, 16 mm, 5:00)
(NL 2015)
(NL 2020, Interview & Online platform)
(2021)