Surviving Total Surveillance

In conjunction with the exhibition Laura Poitras: Astro Noise, the Whitney hosted a panel discussion on February 6 about surveillance in the post-9/11 world. Kate Crawford, Jill Magid, Trevor Paglen, Laura Poitras, and Hito Steyerl—some of the artists and scholars who contributed to Astro Noise: A Survival Guide for Living Under Total Surveillance, the publication accompanying the exhibition—gathered in the Susan and John Hess Family Theater with moderator Jess Search and curator Jay Sanders.

The speakers brought wit and humor to the urgent issues of mass data and surveillance in a hyper-connected world. The artists reflected on their own work in relation to current surveillance practices and the coded language used to monitor civilians worldwide. Questions from the audience wrapped up an inspiring and provocative panel discussion.

Watch a video of the event here.

All photographs by Andrew Kist, February 2016.