Borderlines. Surveillance, Identification and Artistic Explorations along European Borders.

Abstract

Borderlines are increasingly hard to grasp they no longer follow the territorial outlines of nation states and are developing into mobile interlinked structures. The borderlines experience an increasing automation, reach into our cities, along the spaces of transit and, with the help of biometric techniques, zoom in on our bodies. These structures of inclusion and exclusion, of surveillance and control have different impacts on people, according to their status and nationality. This altered state of our borders and its appearance in artistic and academic positions will be discussed. This goes along with an analysis of theories and practices of surveillance and control in relation to the restriction of movement and the construction of spaces. The focus lies on irregular migration and movement in the European arena. Most of the works that are presented were part of the exhibition “grenzlinien” (borderlines) which was shown in Mainz and Frankfurt/Main, Germany in 2010 and which will be completed by a publication and further shows in 2011/12.