Windows of the World — Sergio Ximenez

WINDOWS OF THE WORLD (2012 - )

Windows (of the World) is a photographic series illustrating the topic of sousveillance (i.e. the monitoring and observation of civilians by civilians from an eye-level, first person perspective; “neighbors watching neighbors”) through the aesthetic of surveillance (i.e. the monitoring and observation of civilians by a governing body from an above eye-level, elevated perspective; “government watching citizens”). I search for and utilize unsecured camera feeds from around the globe via the World Wide Web, taking on the role of the surveyor but never truly elevating my societal role (i.e. I am still a citizen surveying fellow citizens by bringing down the observation to the human level and never rising in the social hierarchy throughout the process). The captured photographs of the observed scenes will give an overall global view through a surveillance means. And by utilizing unsecured feeds and capturing unsuspecting, everyday people as my subjects, I will draw attention to the ease and prevalence of surveillance in our society and the intrusions that exist if we keep the concept unregulated, unchallenged, or at the very least unquestioned.

Windows (of the World) is meant to bring about discussions, not imitations. The work will act as a catalyst for society to open up conversations questioning the role of widespread surveillance, holding accountable institutions responsible for their adamant enforcement through constant surveying that can lead to infringements upon personal privacy. And if the institution so happens to be our own bodies (i.e. we set up cameras to survey ourselves; coveillance), the work will showcase a need to step back and critique our own surveying actions enacted by our countless personal lens-based CRM (i.e. capturing, recording, monitoring) devices. The need for responsible surveillance begins with the citizens demanding it and not for any governing body to determine otherwise.

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