Can You Hear Me?

Details

Year: 2018
Timestamp: 1532573388045
Artist: Christoph Wachter
Artist: Mathias Jud
Medium: Wooden Structure
Medium: Metal DIY Can Antennas
Medium: Electronics
Medium: Wireless Network
Url: https://canyouhearme.de/
Exhibition: Distributed Systems

Description

Messages can be sent to the intelligence agencies on the frequencies that are intercepted by the NSA and GCHQ. An independent mesh network in Berlin's Government District recaptured the virtual communication space. A collective conversation space in which all have equal rights has been taking the space of secret wiretapping.

Between the US Embassy and the British Embassy, Christoph Wachter and Mathias Jud have designed up the art project "Can you hear me?". A year ago, due to the revelations of Edward Snowden, this very place became a political focal point. From there, the British and the Americans were spying on the government and the people in Berlin.

Public protests went on without consequences. Instead, oppression became rather widespread. Ironically, the digital media means of expression that were considered, at the beginning of the Egyptian, Tunisian, or Turkish rebellions as promising tools were perverted into their opposite. The digital space which should allow democratic debate is fundamentally manipulated. Because of that, cultural, political, and communicative structures are also shaken and it leads to an experience not unlike the one experienced by people even under authoritarian and restrictive regimes, and a grueling dependence and speechlessness arises.

Exhibitions or Collections (needs clarification)

Swiss Embassy Berlin
Academy of Arts Berlin