by Audrey Sage
The University of North Carolina at Greensboro’s Special Collections division recently acquired a copy from the limited edition of Louise Levergneux’s book “Surveillance” to add to their artist book collection. This unique work questions the prevalence and abundance of security devices that track our movements and actions, every hour, around the world. She asks, “Who’s watching?” Who monitors and uses these collections of visual data of which we have become, sometimes unknowingly and without consent, a part?
“Is privacy a thing of the past?” We are no longer guaranteed our freedom and anonymity as technology is developed and information is tracked, monitored through facial identification, and logged.
Levergneux photographed security warning signs she encountered while traveling and incorporated these images into her tunnel book, creating an overwhelming view as you look through this passageway of notifications into the lens of a camera. A fake security camera is mounted on the cover alongside a power switch. Once you open the book, timed warning beeps sound and ultimately a flash erupts, to simulate the flash of a camera documenting your exposure.
“CCTV (closed-circuit television) is the bane of mass surveillance, which erodes intellectual freedom and deconstructs the social fabric of our society… Through built-in backdoors, security agencies can tune in to our phone calls, read our messages, capture our photo, look through our emails, steal our files … Anywhere, 24/7!” -Levergneux
Housing this artist book was essential for us to protect and preserve its carefully constructed format. The mechanism requires two AA batteries, that the artist recommends storing separately when not in use.
We designed a box that has a peek-a-boo circular window over the security camera dome. The volume slides into the housing recess, under side ridges that hold the book in place, keeping the book secured when the clamshell enclosure is moved. There is a small, covered compartment to store the batteries with an interior strap that lifts the batteries forward, simplifying retrieval.
Louise Levergneux’s Surveillance presents us with a moment or two to reflect upon those who surveil, among other things. To what end is this data being collected, for what use? This data has proven to be useful, to protect victims and identify those up to no good. This data has conversely been used by those up to no good, harming and manipulating individuals. We have slowly and steadily found ourselves living in a world where nearly everything we do can be monitored, blindly enjoying the conveniences and thrills of technology, and like the frog in the frying pan, as the heat rises, we find it may be too late to hop out.
For more information about this artist, please visit her website: https://louiselevergneux.com/
