How can art and visual theory contribute to the understanding of our current surveillance society?

Watched! presents a selection of European artists who relate to current issues of discipline, control and security in our contemporary surveillance society.

Surveillance is an expanding part of daily life. Since the start of the new millennium, we have seen major developments in security policies, data collection, software for private use, biometric science, social media, smartphones and technological innovations in other areas of ʻsmart surveillanceʼ.

Parallel to this change that has taken place in all parts of society, critical responses have increased across a wide range of disciplines, one of them being the arts.

This publication offers a selection of artistic works and practices that addresses and reflects on issues of surveillance over the past 15 years.

Published on the occasion of the exhibition at Hasselblad Center, Göteborg (27 May — 2 October 2016), Kunsthal Aarhus (14 October — 31 December 2016), and C/O Berlin (17 February — 21 May 2017).