Sanctum

Sanctum is video based work that interacts with its viewers. It is displayed at the Henry Museum and is positioned to face outward, to the walkway just in front of the museum. At first glance it looks as if it is playing a loop of previously recorded footage, but it quickly becomes obviously that each screen is a live feed, being transmitted from various locations on campus. A couple of the cameras are positioned directly in front of the piece and are meant to generate participation. If a person stands close enough, the installation, it will collect information about the viewer and determine what demographic they belong to based off previously collected data. In turn, Facebook posts from other people within that same demographic will appear on the screen. 

Initially, I found this installation to be slightly uninteresting, but it has actually become more interesting the more I think about it. In this day and age, the large majority of people have become numb and/or unaware of how many different systems are in place to track, categorize and monitor all of us. Facebook is an interesting example because this is a tracking and archiving system that most of us readily participate in without a second thought. However, in the context of Sanctum, we are forced to be aware of exactly how much social media has infiltrated our everyday lives. As you stand in front of Sanctum, the interaction is fun at first. You are able to see all the other locations that are being filmed as it determines what demographic you belong to, but once it begins displaying the posts of others, it is a rather uneasy feeling. When looking at your own profile, personal information is assumed, but to be filmed without permission, and then categorized so easily is a little terrifying. Knowing that the images are not archived is a slightly comforting, but it is still an interesting experiment into the world of surveillance and monitoring.