01/01/2023
Sunday
Project Overview
In the digital age, surveillance has become an invisible architecture that underpins modern life. Our every move, both online and offline, is captured, cataloged, and analyzed, blurring the lines between observation, control, and everyday existence. This project is a video installation presented on two monitors, supported by a custom-built setup that evokes the cold and mechanical aesthetic of a dystopian techno age. Through fragmented imagery, live data streams, and layered sound, the installation confronts viewers with the unsettling reality that surveillance is no longer confined to isolated systems but is embedded into the very fabric of society. It invites reflection on how the normalization of constant monitoring reshapes notions of freedom, privacy, and human agency.
Inspo.
I drew inspiration from Nam June Paik’s installation piece Electronic Superhighway. I was especially drawn to how he used the TV monitors not just as a way to display content, but as integral parts of the artwork itself. The physical presence of the screens became just as important as the images they showed, creating a layered, immersive experience. With my own project, I wanted to approach it in a similar way, treating the monitors and custom-built setup as active elements of the piece rather than passive displays, emphasizing the physical and technological environment we live in today.
left: Electronic Superhighway by Nam June Paik
Process
1. Concept Development
I wanted to explore how physical remnants of the industrial era could mirror the invisible structures of digital surveillance today.
2. Location Selection
I chose Carrie Furnace in Pittsburgh as my primary shooting location. Its history as a steel mill symbolizes the city's industrial past, while its abandonment contrasts sharply with Pittsburgh’s transformation into a hub for technology and cyber industries.
3. Site Exploration and Visual Planning
I visited Carrie Furnace to scout textures, structures, and spaces. I was drawn to the rigid, mechanical forms of the abandoned machinery, which naturally evoked a dystopian, factory-like atmosphere that fit the tone of my piece.
4. Filming
I captured slow, detailed footage of the machinery, rusted surfaces, pipes, and skeletal frameworks. I focused on framing shots that emphasized repetition, decay, and the overwhelming scale of the site to build a cold, mechanical visual language.
Carrie Furnace Documentation
For the editing process, I first edited the footage I filmed at Carrie Furnace and displayed it on the monitors. Then, I recorded a second set of footage of the videos being played on the monitors themselves. I edited this new footage to create multiple layers of video, building a sense of depth and distortion. This approach makes it feel like you are watching something that is also being watched, mirroring the layered, recursive nature of surveillance.