The number of cameras of public places increases. Since September 11th, the number of cameras in Manhattan grew from 3,000 to 9,000. Bill Brown of the Surveillance Camera Players uses his art to cover them.
"Surveillance's problem is that it must remain secret. And that's where we come in: we expose that secrecy. With our performances, our maps of camera locations, and our trips to Germany and other countries, we make people aware of the surveillance cameras that are watching them. The goal is to make people aware and break the silence concerning the necessity of surveillance."
[...] Bill says:
"One can say that today we are controlled in every aspect of our lives. For example, how we express our political opinions. There are travel restrictions, there are rules concerning the books you can take out of the library. Our e-mail is being monitored. Our telephone calls are being monitored. The surveillance is comprehensive. In 1984, George Orwell presented 'Big Brother' as a metaphor: a single, incredible power. Today, one must speak of many 'Little Brothers,' of a decentralized surveillance power. We controlled by many different people."
(Written by Paul-Philipp Hanske, reviewing the exhibit "Get Rid of Yourself" at Lothringer 13, Munich, Germany. Published in the 9 December 2003 issue of Bayerisher Rundfunk. Translated from the German by Bill Brown.)
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