Project SEEN - An Internet Art Project
In an internet that has scanned everything, what does it mean to be witnessed; not curated, not compressed, just seen?
The Concept
Every piece of media--literally all the artistry in the world--has been scanned and compressed into an AI. Trillions of images. Presumably every picture and letter on the internet, scraped and optimised into one hulking, unfeeling corporate mass. When you put something on the internet, it's more likely to be used by an AI than understood by a human being. In that context, it can feel impossible to be seen.
And when we are seen, it's always curated. Social media trains us to show only our best selves, even when no one's watching just due to the illusion anybody could. We perform for audiences that may not exist. We hide the mess as a defense mechanism.
Project SEEN asks about rebelling against these pressures: what if you were brave enough to reveal your authentic self knowing someone was watching?
This project is about the artist (me) being able to witness people's uncurated mess, and to appreciate it, genuinely, for the briefest moment. Then let it go.
Participation
If you participate by downloading the Project SEEN Android app, you control the pace. You can see exactly what your device sends, and un-send anything before it reaches the artist.
The twist: you don't choose what gets sent. Every media file on your device (images, videos, and audios as you know it, in all its accidental glory) will eventually find its way to the server. You approve of the process. The process decides the content.
When a file arrives, the artist sees it. Then it is deleted. Files are always deleted within 30 days, often far sooner. Occasionally, with your awareness, something may be archived. The server can also refuse; it can reject files, suppress repeats, and ban devices that misbehave.
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