Telepresence Art and Public Surveillance

Telepresence Art -- Eduardo Kac

telepresence |ˈteləˌprezəns|noun
the use of virtual reality technology, esp. for remote control of machinery or for apparent participation in distant events.
• a sensation of being elsewhere, created in such a way. (see Webster's Online Dictionary)

This article discusses a pragmatic form of telepresence research by scientists that can equate robotic and human experience, aiming to have features of the robot matching nuances of human gesture. This is a concept I try, but don't yet succeed at wrapping my head around. There's something missing for me in the experience of being an avatar in Second Life or witnessing an art show with a fluorescent bunny. Not that I don't value educational concepts being developed in Second Life or Kac's art, I do, but using live animals in art blurs boundaries of ethical practice for me. Admittedly, this is a personal thing. And while I have had fun scooting around in Second Life I don't feel confident about knowing my way. My gut instinct is that one must spend significant time tied to the computer to have a meaningful Second Life and I don't have enough time to do all that interests me as it is, and this might be my main factor in not getting it -- lack of time. Also, the idea of building a community in Second Life does not stimulate me the same way building communities around student life at Ryerson, cultural life in Toronto and Wilberforce, OCAD teacher/student life, neighborhood life, Thesis project life and so on.

I prefer human nuances and gestures to be shared between humans, not between me as a human 'type' mingling with other human 'types'. Art works that experiment with altering humans or animals is not going to be something I pursue soon, if at all. Art that replicates the human body or animals has not yet caught my imagination. I can reconsider these things down the road and see if it change but for now I've tried it and confirmed it's not a fit.

surveillance |sərˈvāləns|noun
close observation, esp. of a suspected spy or criminal : he found himself put under surveillance by military intelligence. Watch, view, inspection, supervision; spying, espionage, infiltration, reconnaissance; informal bugging, wiretapping. (see Webster's online Dictionary)

"Today, remote surveillance is found in public areas, such as the subway, or in private environments as office and apartment buildings." -- quote from the article

"The use of remote surveillance for social control is already rooted in our public space, and now its scrutinizing gaze invades the privacy of the home." -- quote from the article

The Toronto police have been scanning surveillance tape since the brutal shooting deaths of two 25 year old men, Dylan Ellis and Oliver Martin on June 13th while they were parked in their vehicle waiting for a friend. There is no known motive. Could something this horrific be random, and if so, what does it mean for increased public surveillance? I learned through news reports of police activities that there is a large volume of tape from the crime scene and surrounding area to go through. This is good news on the one hand because it might help to solve this crime, but on the other hand who uses the surveillance cameras and tapes on a regular basis until the police require them? Spy cameras are becoming ever present, in public and in private, known and unknown, and what does this mean to our daily movements in life?

I have friends who live on Richmond Street within a few houses of where the shooting took place. I'll now be aware that as I come and go to visit them I could be taped by surveillance cameras. The same is true about coming and going anywhere -- perhaps even in my own downtown neighborhood. How do I know when I'm being watched? It's something that can happen anywhere.

As society continues to break down more people are likely to subscribe to surveillance as a means of property protection. I find this spooky. Yet at the same time, having access to surveillance tape after a crime is invaluable. For instance, I remember a case reported in the Toronto Sun about a year ago in Toronto where the murder of a prostitute was solved due to a surveillance camera in a stairwell.

Have you ever necked in a stairwell? A store? An underground garage? On the street? The public and the private merge, understandably, but not for the pleasure of a camera the lovers are not privy to knowing is trained on them and can capture their actions for use beyond their control. I don't subscribe to a world of surveillance, and yet, tape that captures any part of a crime and can lead to solving crimes is invaluable. In the unsolved murders of Dylan Ellis and Oliver Martin I'm glad the police have surveillance tape to go through and I hope it helps them solve the tragic murders of these two young men.