Video Cameras “Disguised”

panoptICONS is an art project meant to raise awareness and refute the idea of people being constantly “watched” by video cameras placed all over the city. Here is the project description from the developers: “The surveillance camera seems to have become a real pest that feeds on our privacy. To represent this, camera birds – city birds with cameras instead of heads – were placed throughout the city centre of Utrecht where they feed on our presence. In addition, a camera bird in captivity was displayed to show the feeding process and to make the everyday breach of our privacy more personal and tangible.” The whole project is looking to emphasize the concept of the man that gains the statute of “prey” while being in crowded urban spaces.