Border Crossing [2003]

The border crossing project is a public performance intervention for the Canadian-American border. The crossing is monitored throuh sousveillance where the border is watched by officials and officials watched by the watchers.

Technically speaking, two cameras are focused in perpendicular directions capture digital imagery passing through the border station. These images are used to create metric models then plotted on a coordinated 3-dimensional grid, employing machine vision and motion capture techniques originally developed by Edward Muybridge. I began the project creatign alterative preceptions through motion glasses tested and refined using to understand disceret ways of captuing visual information.

The unprocessed images are published in real-time making this surveillance station a live public service, transforming this border into a staging area for passive performances, fosters control through self-discretion and civic engagement. Current instances of surveillance and data collection have become empowering, contributing factors to the increasing dominance of state and large corporations, This intervention is a counter action of this preeminence of data contorl through public accessibility.