wip >> http:415=skin
An uncountable range of network cameras and webcams create circuits of open streams easily available on the internet: digital devices capture and broadcast the reality of public and private spaces, with and without knowledge of their participants, with and without consent. And why are they used? Is their final objective surveillance, public information, voyeurism or a commercial strategy?
Somehow, humans seem to have survived from a possible panopticon effect: the fact that they are being constantly watched seems to make them feel even more unware of the surveillance or just not caring. or may be they're just too optimistic and think they are immune to this digital voyeurism.
(http:415=skin) is a bug that explores the webstreams universe looking for video streams, constantly listening and searching those cameras, a parasite that feeds himself of skin pixels found in the images broadcasted by hundreds of web cams lost in the internet.
A crawler and collector of surveillance and voyeurism.
The program (http:415=skin) will expose skin pixels in a perpetual canvas, continuously being filled with unidentifiable amalgamations of streamed skin.
whe observing these public streams of video in the internet, some questions were raised:
what is the function of a surveillance camera, is it only a security affect or need?
what other needs do we have to use them?
why would we like to expose so much of us?
or do we know about that? and do we care?
how many are aware of their broadcasting and fulfill another role, being aware/conscious about their surveillance/broadcasting or not.
being unconsciously surveilled and sharing in public spaces their own private moments.
how much of themselves is exposed is converted in an mass of skin pixels in the painting.
a mess of pixels all definners of the most singular and generic part of all of us: skin.
another curious, but vital, fact for this exploration is the digital representation of skin, its captured image is translated into values for each color components, the skin color levels (hue) do variate, nevertheless the brightness values are always the same. Also in the digital imaging realm, skin reflects its particular but also its universal features.
(unfortunately as the ongoing process of this program kept roling I discovered that this universality is ruined by the continuous and diverse change of lighting conditions...)
where did i find streams from (places and objectives):
surveillance (workplaces, safety installations)
tourism and public information/broadcast (streets, beaches, harbors, radio stations, church)
public spaces for public voyeurism (streets, plazas,)
indoor spaces, private (private houses)