We believe in CCTV as an almost absolute truth, an above-human system literally watching over us. It defines a new urban reality. How do we fit in this panopticonal reality and how do we know if we even exist in it? Does the system register our reality or its own? If we are aware of being watched, are we then still a suspect? Are we then still being watched?
I am always here is a video installation by Sylvain Vriens that deals with CCTV and the way it influences our reality. It features a CCTV-system that monitors the room in which it is present. It does this in real-time, showing the events in the room instantaneous. It seems to show an exact copy of our reality. The monitor and camera hang just above door-height and look down on those visiting the room.
I am always here is a seemingly normal CCTV-system. It hangs fairly unnoticed on the wall of the room and most people will walk past without noticing. But once it is noticed and a visitor looks up trying to see himself, he will only see the surrounding room and just a glimpse of his own image quickly fading out. It is as if he views the room as it would look without him being present.
The CCTV-system creates its own reality by filtering out those things that it finds 'uninteresting'. In the case of I am always here it filters out the people who are aware of its existence. CCTV’s preventive powers are claimed to be based upon awareness. A person looking straight into the camera is fully aware of being surveilled and won’t be seen as a possible suspect and is uninteresting from a surveillers point of view.
Yesterday I finally did my graduation-presentation after working late every night the last couple of weeks. The installation was still running smoothly and the last part to graduating was the final presentation.
I had 45 minutes to do my talk and answer questions from the committee of critics and the audience. I was a bit nervous at first, but a few minutes into my presentation I really got into it. I got a lot of compliments, the biggest one being non-mediatech people coming up to me and telling me that they never looked at CCTV the way I did.
To celebrate we drank beers in the exhibition space where I answered some more questions. Just before leaving for dinner, my supervisor Taco Stolk congratulated me with the positive result, although he still had to discuss the final grade with the rest of the staff.
About an hour later he called to congratulate me with my 8! Now that is a nice dessert to dinner! (more…)
Yesterday Saskia and me went to Roterdam to attach the i am always here installation to the wall in the hallway of the former Fotomuseum in Rotterdam. After some initial problems we were able to leave without worrying about it falling down halfway the night.
Today I finished testing it on location and calibrating both the camera and software. As far as I can see it works like a charm. The first reactions were very positive.
Dear all,
as some of you might know i am currently working hard on my graduation.
The date is set, a lot still has to be done, but i am confident that it will all work out in the coming week.
My graduation presentation is set on saturday july 12th in the former Nederlands Fotomuseum in Rotterdam (see details below). My presentation will be around 14:45 (see program below) and currently is announced as
surveillance: the new urban religion / defining reality
My (and the other presentations) are a part of the Media Technology MSc exhibition that takes place at the same location from the 10th-13th and 17th-20th. At this exhbition the project related to my graduation is also exhibited:
i am always here
A small video installation about camera surveillance and the reality that is created by it.
The week is packed with events and all of these are public and you are invited to come and visit (and participate). See below for more details.
I hope to see you all in Rotterdam. I won't be there every day, so if you want to meet in person please contact me.
Many Greetings
Sylvain Vriens
(more…)
