User:Berna Bereit Project That May or May Not Be Made

These proposals originally were developed in this pad, but not all of them made it to the wiki page: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/bernadette-geiger-t3-methods. The accompanied research and developing process done for this project can be read here: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/bernadette-geiger-re-observer

Here you can find the content of the project itself: https://pad.xpub.nl/p/bernadette-geiger-re-secure-content

Explore other May or May Not Be Made Projects here: RapidPrototypeandProject that May

re-secure

What is it?

"re-secure" is an installation that unfolds the insight of a security camera, making transparent what these semi-hidden cameras see and questioning it's purpose for security.

In the form of an aesthetically seamless surveillance camera, users assume the role of observers by engaging with a fictional security device. By peering through the camera's eyepiece, they view a 7-inch LCD display that presents a short video. This video provides insights into various security cameras, elucidating their purposes, the entities that employ them, their visual capabilities, and the data they collect. In the subsequent segment, the narrative delves into the personal dimension of feeling (un)secure, offering a critical perspective on security systems. At the conclusion of the video, viewers are prompted to reflect on their own sense of security. Throughout the viewing experience, the visitors remain stationary, fully focused on the video while becoming performatively a surveillance camera themselves.

Why make it?

In the modern urban landscape, surveillance systems are often presented as an essential part of a comprehensive security infrastructure. However, these systems, which are supposed to protect us, consist of numerous small black boxes that record data opaquely. On the outside, they appear to be subtle objects, inconspicuously integrated into the cityscape and easy to overlook. But inside they harbour a complex system that collects a wide range of data and, depending on the legal situation, can be connected to personal information to trace people.

The "re-secure" is an post-optimal object that draws attention to the topics of surveillance.

Imagine yourself in the role of the observer. You become aware of the numerous surveillance points and their potential range. Your attention is focussed on the subtle presence of these objects, which you might hardly have noticed before. You start to ask yourself questions: What data is being collected? Who has access to this information? How is it being used?

This reflection leads to a critical examination of the omnipresence of surveillance and the balance between security and privacy. The opaque black boxes in the cityscape are more than just technical devices; they symbolise a field of tension in which the need for security must be weighed against the right to privacy.

Timetable

15.05 - 20.05: fully formulate concept + references/sources

21.05 - 28.05: think of technical aspects - How could it be built? What compontents do I need? Sketches for help

28.05: List for ordering electronics

29.05 - 05.06: Close primary research

05.06 - 19.06: production of product

20.06: testing

21.06 - 26.06: final changes + set up for SI24 lauch

27.06: SI24 launch built up

Previous practice

Surveillance cameras have become part of our everyday cityscape. Yet the small devices are usually very inconspicuous. The consequences can be all the more serious, as a current example from Saxony, Germany shows: a new police law was passed in 2019. The use of video surveillance with biometric facial recognition by the state police within a 30-km radius of the Saxon federal border has put almost half of the entire State under surveillance, leading to an outcry and a lawsuit.

The pixel glasses make a contribution to self-determined technological use in the style of already existing projects. For example, the pixel glasses protect against involuntary facial recognition by surveillance cameras. This becomes particularly significant in activist operations. Taking the example of protests in Hong Kong (2019), one can see that activists could be recorded by cameras and assigned by AI. The pixel glasses support political engagement and prevent suppression of different opinions, piracy for privacy.

Find out more about the project here: http://bernadettegeiger.com/working_with_against_technology.html

Installation

The object will be an interactive installation. Visitors can take the security camera and view the video in the inside of the case. A pair of headphones can also be plugged in to listen to the video, additionally subtitles will be displayed in the video.

Relation to a wider context

#antisurveillance #cctv #piracyforprivacy #whatismydataworth

Rapid prototype template

Additional Reference

• FaceValue by Simon C. Niquille (https://www.wired.com/2013/10/thwart-facebooks-creepy-auto-tagging-with-these-bizarre-t-shirts/ )
• reflectacles (https://www.reflectacles.com/ )
• https://qz.com/10-fashions-to-help-you-confuse-facial-recognition-syst-1851112545
• https://www.businessinsider.nl/clothes-accessories-that-outsmart-facial-recognition-tech-2019-10?international=true&r=US
• https://projectkovr.com/
• https://cybernews.com/privacy/anti-surveillance-fashion/
• https://yr.media/tech/guide-to-anti-surveillance-fashion/

Sources

[1] Mareis, Claudia: Unsichtbares Design und post-optimale Objekte. Interfacedesign und Entmaterialisierungsdiskurse seit circa 1960. In: Bartz, Christina;Kaerlein, Timo;Miggelbrink, Monique;Neubert, Christoph: Gehäuse: Mediale Einkapselungen. Paderborn: Fink 2019, S. 93-114. DOI: 10.25969/mediarep/3961.