HOW CAN THE RAW MATERIAL OF THE SNOWDEN FILES BE TRANSFORMED INTO ART AND COMMONS?
SIGNALS is the first project to critically engage with artists not just responding to but also actually working with the NSA files leaked by whistleblower Edward Snowden. It reflects on how artists are deploying the files as raw material and, by creating all kinds of works, are transforming them into commons. The exhibition/books include contributions by Zeljko Blace (CRO), Andrew Clement (CAN), Naomi Colvin (GBR), Simon Denny (NZL), Christoph Hochhäusler (GER), Evan Light (CAN), Geert Lovink (NED), M.C. McGrath (USA), Henrik Moltke (DEN), Deborah Natsios (USA), Julian Oliver (NZL), Trevor Paglen (USA), Laura Poitras (USA), SAZAE bot (JPN), Stefan Tiron (ROU), University of the Phoenix (CAN), Maria Xynou (ESP), and John Young (USA).
Video Talks
Deborah Natsios/John Young (activists)
Naomi Colvin (activist)
Christoph Hochhäusler (filmmaker)
Andrew Clement (researcher)
M.C. McGrath (coder)
Joseph Vogl (philosopher)
Evan Light (artist)
Maria Xeynou (researcher/activist)
Geert Lovink (net critic)
Exhibition
Objectives
Frontend
Backend
Events + Books
Program
Events
Books
Info
The Berliner Gazette (BG) has worked on the Snowden disclosures from the very beginning. It has launched several critical interventions under the motto Snowden Commons that are intended to explore and expand the democratic potential of the disclosures. As a nonprofit and nonpartisan team of journalists, researchers, artists and coders, the BG analyzes and tests emerging cultural and political practices. Since 1999 the BG has been publishing berlinergazette.de under a Creative Commons license – with more than 900 contributors from all over the world – as well as organizing symposia, exhibitions and editing books. Mail suggestions to: info(at)berlinergazette.de. Visit our site http://berlinergazette.de
Organizer
The independent art and theory publishing house DIAMONDPAPER was founded in the early 2000s, aiming to create a common space in which to bring together important artistic positions and critical thought. It has managed an exhibition space at the address Köpenicker Strasse 96 in Berlin since the fall of 2015. The venue, which is accessible to the public and open on the side facing the street, is situated on the boundary between Mitte and Kreuzberg and is meant to function as a showcase for the ‚book works‘ that are designed in the rear section of the building. The opening hours of the SIGNALS exhibition are: September 12-26, 2017, Tuesday through Saturday 12 to 6 p.m. and in October by appointment only, preferably groups and school classes.
Venue + opening hours
The exhibition will hold its special closing event on November 1 at 7 p.m.: a final exhibition tour followed by a performance by University of the Phoenix (please register by Oct. 25 under mt(at)berlinergazette.de). The event will take place in conjunction with the BG annual conference – FRIENDLY FIRE. Failed Citizens or Failed States? – which is taking place on November 2-4, 2017 at ZK/U.
Special closing performance
The venue, the art works, the guests, the talks and workshops, the exhibition tours, the opening and closing events – many precious moments of the SIGNALS project have been captured photographically. The photos were taken by members of the Berliner Gazette team, including Leonie Geiger, Norman Posselt, Andi Weiland and Krystian Woznicki. Check out all photos in this flickr album.
Photo documentation
The two SIGNALS books are available via DIAMONDPAPER ( http://diamondpaper.de ) and in bookshops, such as pro qm, Walther König, b books and Motto Books in Berlin. The international distribution is organized by Anagram Books.
Book distribution
The SIGNALS project is supported by the Capital Cultural Fund. It is administered by the Senate department responsible for culture of the city-state of Berlin, which in turn is financed by the city-state.