Re: [-empyre-] Exposure

[Christina McPhee <christina112@earthlink.net>]

what about when and if surveillance generates accidental (or not so  
accidental) performance?  "Bare Life" in a vaudeville costume...

On Jul 9, 2006, at 9:47 AM, M White wrote:

> I am interested in considering the different
> ways that bodies are put on display, the various
> demands for exposure, and what it means when people
> decide or are forced to become visible in the world.

On this note,  I just  received  this announcement from Amy  
Alexander  plagiari@plagiarist.org:

> SVEN is the project that asks the question, "If surveillance  
> technology
> can detect when you look like a terrorist, criminal, or other nasty  
> type -
> why not have it detect when you look like a rock star?"
>
> SVEN stands for "Surveillance Video Entertainment Network," and  
> SVEN takes the Entertainment part very seriously. Why? Because  
> people already take surveillance seriously - it's scary, after all.  
> But that's just because it's almost always used in ways that scare  
> and mystify people.
>
> So, SVEN has responded by developing some far more entertaining  
> surveillance technology. The SVEN system detects when a pedestrian  
> looks like music video star, and converts boring surveillance video  
> into a music video before onlookers' eyes


more detail here from Amy:

---------------------


Introducing SVEN! http://deprogramming.us/sven

June 2006: SVEN - Surveillance Video Entertainment Network (aka "AI  
to the People") - makes its street debut.

The SVEN van - aka "SVAN" - kicked off its Beach and World Tour on  
the streets of San Diego. Vying for attention with the ocean and The  
GAP, the SVAN mobile surveillance music video unit rolled into the  
upscale beach community of La Jolla. Parking by the surf and in the  
downtown shopping district, the SVEN van set down its brake and set  
up its camera, video screen and sound system in search of  
undiscovered rock stars.
http://deprogramming.us/sven/drives.html


What is SVEN?

SVEN is the project that asks the question, "If surveillance technology
can detect when you look like a terrorist, criminal, or other nasty  
type -
why not have it detect when you look like a rock star?"

SVEN stands for "Surveillance Video Entertainment Network," and SVEN  
takes the Entertainment part very seriously. Why? Because people  
already take surveillance seriously - it's scary, after all. But  
that's just because it's almost always used in ways that scare and  
mystify people.

So, SVEN has responded by developing some far more entertaining  
surveillance technology. The SVEN system detects when a pedestrian  
looks like music video star, and converts boring surveillance video  
into a music video before onlookers' eyes. Since it's a surveillance  
system, rock-star pedestrians don't know when they're being watched.  
But anyone looking on at the SVAN can witness the newly-discovered  
stars' 15 seconds of fame.

The SVEN van will be making appearances in various cities throughout  
the summer and fall - both randomly-occuring city drives and  
scheduled drives held in conjunction with hosted events. A  
comparative study of culturally and recreationally diverse beach  
populations is in the works.

Next Scheduled SVENCOUNTER:

July 12, 2006:  Escher-Wyss-Platz. Zürich.
Hosted by the Digital Art Weeks Conference: http://www.jg.inf.ethz.ch/ 
wiki/DAW/Front.

SVEN Development/Production Team '06: Amy Alexander, Wojciech Kosma,  
Vincent Rabaud
Production Assistants/Roadies: Marilia Maschion, Annina Ruest
Initial SVEN Development by: Amy Alexander, Jesse Gilbert, Nikhil  
Rasiwasia


More info:
http://deprogramming.us/sven
Contact: sven06 (fill_in_the_symbol) deprogramming.us

-christina