Surveillance I -III, 2005-2007
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Surveillance - a video and photography installation

Surveillance permeates our everyday life.  From hidden cameras in retail surveillance to uncovering spousal deceit and international espionage.  In this installation surveillance is viewed from 3 perspectives: as an activity by which we observe and participate in the exploitations of tourism particularly in art world consumption, as well as personal explorations and as storytelling.  Unlike the more sinister applications of surveillance, this work offers at times both a more humorous look at surveillance and a deeper reflection on cultural consumption.      

I have included I-III here but there are more items coming including the 'illuminated manuscript' and another video montage of life in the city of lights.

Gallery Installation: I have created a simple floor plan that is not to scale but tries to give an idea of the potential set up using surveillance cameras in a gallery setting. . 

The 3 surveillance cameras that will feed into video 3.  Surveillance cameras A and C would capture the street and some of the inside of the gallery from the desk area, while camera B would watch the entrance to the gallery. 

Video 1, 2, and 4 would run Surveillance I, a slide show of Surveillance III (with additional images not on the wall) and Surveillance IV. 
The videos would be wall mounted and fed by DVD.  Visitors will sit on a small stool in front of the panel (or stand if they choose).  Head sets would be used for the audio.  The centre area of the gallery will have a small table with chairs so that visitors can read the story book of Surveillance I.

For the opening I would like to hire an actor to stand outside on the street in a security officer’s uniform, handing out show flyers and warning people entering that the gallery is ‘under surveillance‘.

In keeping with the tourism theme I would like to merchandise this show with the sale of everything from the pictures and light boxes to personal copies of the DVD videos and the storybook.  Additional merchandise may include postcards from the Louvre (only available in Canada) t-shirts and buttons printed with a distinctive “Surveillance“ logo.  

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