@ Lumineus Amersfoort: ‘Muren Slechten’
The city wall & the network: control systems.
Within our cities the contrast between the unsafe 'outside' and the protected and secured 'inside' is no longer visible and perceivable. City walls are replaced by invisible electronic control networks, such as surveillance systems with camera's and traceable mobile phones. With new technologies people are through formal and informal networks connected 24/7, with or without walls.
TELE_TRUST relates the historical control system of the city wall to our present lives in a electronically, networked controlled society. We no longer need city walls - we ARE the city walls.
In Amersfoort the portraits are projected on the medieval town-gate Kamperbinnenpoort.
Through touching the networked body in the Data-Veil, the audience members activate the town-gate with their personal presence.
Despite the winter cold the Data-Veil and projection created lively street discussions. Even in the snow, the audience was very much willing to wear the Data-Veil. Sometimes because of the thrill to activate the town-gate by touching the body. And compared to other locations, there were in the street a lot of people wanting to know: ‘how does a burqa feel?’ - often telling us later that they actually liked it; it felt ‘safe’ and sometimes even they felt a comfortable ‘power of being able to see without being seen’.
Audience reaction: “When I touch myself I am with others…when I let go I am alone.”
@ Tschumi Paviljon Groningen - Transparancy and Privacy
Context: While in our changing social eco-system we increasingly demand transparency, we cover our vulnerable bodies with personal communication technology.
The Tschumi paviljon in Groningen offers a transparent space in the city center on a roundabout.
Here the Data-Veil contradicts the transparent ideals as visualized by architect Tschumi.
At the same time it shows the transparency of the network in which we establish our presence.
The audience is invited to COVER the body in the Data-Veil to become publicly VISIBLE in the network. The person on the screen is the veils antagonist, which in the network can have ANY POTENTIAL IDENTITY.
