CCTV Swap 2 Bonington Building, Nottingham Trent University
To receive a strong clear signal from the CCTV camera to the TV monitor was vital therefore I had to choose the installation rooms wisely. I was able to negotiate the use of an installation room and an office that were positioned directly under one other.
Each installation room was set up with a TV monitor, VHS player, CCTV camera, pen and paper and written instructions. Participants could see each other but not hear one another. The instructions suggested that the groups turn their mobile phones off to stop any interference to the live CCTV feed. Participants were told that they could move the CCTV camera and write messages on paper to each other. Each group was given 3 sentences to communicate with the other group, these were used as warm up questions to encourage both group to communicate. The sentences read “What did you have for lunch today?”
In CCTV Swap both groups of participants had the knowledge that they were being watched and communicated via CCTV cameras; by not having the oportunity to confront their own gaze they were constantly returning the gaze of the other group and neither had more power over the other.
Michel Foucault, who linked knowledge with power, related the 'inspecting gaze' to power rather than to gender in his discussion of surveillance (Foucault 1977).
This theory would suggest that by giving group (1) more information or an extra accessory (for example: access to view group (2) via a hidden camera) would shift the possession of power in favour of group 1.
Through the installations using CCTV cameras and TV monitors I was able to explore a playfull voyuerism between participants. However, after a tutorial it became apparent that the work was one-dimensional and it was received as a form of entertainment. I wanted to shift the practice so that it encompassed play and complete immersion to create uncertainty.
