BigMother.dk

Wired features a nice little series of examples of surveillance as art. Very interesting:

Is there such a thing as citizen-friendly surveillance? Designers, filmmakers and architects are making art out of the technology that watches over us. Mindful of Google Earth, camera phones, over-the-counter spy gear, reality TV, terrorist-conscious politicians and security-obsessed corporations, these interactive auteurs put their own spin on a surveillance-saturated global culture. Is New Voyeurism the next genre?

Christian Möller’s ‘Mojo’

Via Anders

I haven’t used the category ‘Surveillance as entertainment’ for quite a while, but fortunately Anders evoked the category again with his latest post on the Ars Electronica festival. This year the influential event is themed ‘Goodbye Privacy‘ and deals with the seemingly increasing transparency and voluntary letting go of digital privacy. Anders moreover links to his paper for the upcoming AOIR conference entitled Surveillance as social play). Thanks Anders for keeping my categories alive

I’ve just been announced professor at Århus University, simply by giving an interview on Bigmother, Careware and cognitive enhancements for Danish Radio. A surprising change of status and occupation. Look at the fact box right.

I did notify DR on the mistake but they seem so convinced of my merits that they have kept the title.

I just checked out the now famous British street artist Banksy and I’m amazed. Normally I have a hard time – quite unfashionable i must admit – really digging the beauty of street art and most forms of graffiti. But Banksy’s work is simply brilliant. Fun, subversive, intriguing. If you don’t know Banksy, go check out the site right away.

One of Banksy’s funny makeovers of flea market classics. A tribute to BigMother’s romantic leanings.

Via Josh Spear

From http://www.ibiblio.org/Dave/drfun.html via Bruce Schneier

The Irish pop-rock icons U2 are once again playing with tech-entertainment on their ongoing world tour using surveillance cameras

‘What could be more natural than to use U2′s harmless play with surveillance cameras as a cute example of aesthetic uses of surveillance technology? As part of their habitually gigantic stage set up, U2 is deploying a range of hidden infrared black and white surveillance cameras to capture band and audience. Pictures are continuously shown at large screens over the stage. Read William Gibson’s insider report from the traveling U2 show in Wired: http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/13.08/u2.html

Yet another example of how survellance technologies can be put into fun use

Hasbro, the company behind popular board games such as Trivial Pursuit and Monopoly, has made a real life concept of Monopoly, presumably in an effort to promote the classic game. Via GPS the players control one of 18 taxies around the city, buy property and place apartments – just like the board version. Even thought he technology (and the concept) is rather crude, Monopoly live is a fairly clear example of new ways of using existing surveillance technologies awaiting: http://www.monopolylive.com/