Under Surveillance

June 29-September 28, 2008

Yasmine Chatila, Office Romance - Tribeca, Thu 5:46 PM, Digital print on watercolor paper; Golan Levin, Opto-Isolator, ABS Enclosure, paint, mechantronic circuits, acrylic, custom software, computer; William Betts, Fifth Avenue, Acrylic on canvas.

In the current era, the use of surveillance is ever-present. Readily accepted as part of daily life are small camera phones, security cameras, traffic cameras, and other watchful devices. How do we balance the value of surveillance in deterring, identifying, and aiding in the capture of criminals with the inherent risk of losing our privacy?

Under Surveillance brings together artists who investigate the impact of surveillance along with associated technologies. For example, Golan Levin (PA) confronts the audience with his Opto-isolator: responding to the gaze of the viewer, a solitary blinking eye might stare intently or glance shyly away as a reflection on what it means to be watched. Additional artists represented in the exhibition are Trevor Paglen (CA); Mat Rappaport (IL); Yasmine Chatila, Daniel Goodwin (NY); Yevgeniya Kaganovich and Dale Kaminski (WI); and William Betts (TX).