Persistent
4 inkjet prints on fabric, 2 industrial fans, 2 guitar pickups, analog distortion pedals, sound, light
30’ x 15’ x 8’
2023

Persistent explores, in the words of media artist Gretchen Bender, the “techno-military image industry” in which we currently exist and the exertion of control within this system. It is well known that the origins of the digital revolution lie in military technology. These tools have become indispensable to society, shaping our lives, thoughts, and identities in ways that intersect with a climate of surveillance by governments, corporations, and each other.

For this installation, a series of four 27” x 36” inkjet prints on muslin were suspended from the ceiling. These images are based on screen shots from Persistent Surveillance System’s (PSS) database of operations in Baltimore City from 2016 to 2020. During this time, city residents were subjected at various periods to an aerial surveillance program put in place by the Baltimore City Police Department (BCPD) and facilitated by PSS. The layout of the prints themselves is intended to be reminiscent of both flags in a hall and the rectangular screens of tablets and smartphones. The translucent material calls to mind layers in a graphics program, tabs in a browser, or windows on a computer. The audio component of this installation consists of two drum fans to which guitar pickups are connected, run through distortion effects pedals and broadcast through speakers. The wind they generate in the space allows the fabric to flutter in the breeze over the viewers’ heads.

This multi-sensory experience correlates to the aerial origins of the printed images and the position of those on the ground who were photographed. The title references the company who provided tracking services to the BCPD but also points to the relentless nature of digital media that seemingly consumes everything, much like the noise that fills the gallery.

The ideas for Persistent are the result of my research on media, power, and the landscape. I have been inspired by the writings of Ruha Benjamin, Irit Rogoff, Hito Steyerl, and Eyal Weizmann in addition to my own experiences as a Baltimore City resident. Ultimately, this installation is a reflection on the ethics of control, surveillance, and policing in the twenty-first century.