Workshop

 

SESSION ONE | 11:00AM – 12:00 PM

COUNTER-SURVEILLANCE AND
CONTESTED NARRATIVES

Led by Bora Erden, Emily Chow Bluck, Danielle Hoo, Jeevan Farias (SITU Research)

 

CREATIVE TIME CONFERENCE ROOM, 59 E 4TH ST FLOOR 6, NEW YORK, NY 10003
Note: This session requires pre-registration and is capped according to venue size.

How do we analyze, understand, and report the nature of gatherings in public space? Authorities often seize the inherent complexity of public spaces to control the narratives of dissidents within them, justifying their inevitable use of force. The cases studied at SITU Research have made it clear that, though it is not an easy task, it is possible to establish critical truths about what happened in the aftermath of an event. This insight informs best practices for documenting movement through public spaces to better safeguard the people putting their bodies on the line to speak truth to power. In this workshop, we will explore creative approaches to counter-surveillance of public gatherings. The session will begin with an introduction to methodologies of open-source investigations and the cartography of events, followed by a hands-on exploration of these ideas using historical, site-specific scenarios accompanied by physical plans and models. This exercise will equip attendees with the beginnings of a counter-surveillance ‘toolkit’ that they can subsequently implement to speak truth to complex public events.
 
Bora Erden is a researcher applying geospatial, computational, and 3D modeling analytical techniques for human rights and legal advocacy groups, with a background in computer vision and neuroscience, and experience in radical political organizing.
 
Emily Chow Bluck is an artist, educator, and organizer based in New York City. Working primarily with communities of color in urban neighborhoods, she uses her art praxis to build local campaigns for social justice. These creative campaigns harness experiences of struggle and oppression to manifest new narratives of overcoming, social value, and self-determined futures.
 
Jeevan Farias is a researcher working at the intersection of cartography, software engineering, and geospatial data science on social, spatial, and environmental injustice cases, with a background in computer science and history.
 
Danielle Hoo is a researcher and web developer conducting geospatial casework for human rights, environmental, and advocacy partners, with a background in sociology, art history, and law.