In Progress Null Test, 2018 -


Null Test is ongoing research into how it might feel if you were missing from the simplest, oldest surveillance system we have: a mirror. In a perfect scenario, if we nullify the viewer out of the equation, what is left? How does being part of a null test affect the tacit knowledge of yourself?

The proposed physical setup for the art is a simple conceit that will nonetheless be difficult to create without the use of screens; it's a mirror that you can't see yourself in. Surveillance devices start out neutral - at their simplest, they are black boxes that observe or measure everything that comes within their purview. But the very act of bringing one of these objects into a situation changes both rules and intent. Presenting a 'broken' mirror, where no image bounces back to you, is one way to eliminate its neutrality and change the rules.

This project is open-ended and ongoing, though if I have the opportunity to spend time with optical engineers, I might be able to make some headway.