Surveilling the Savage Sea

In my project, "Surveilling the Savage Sea," I compiled footage from open and unsecured IP surveillance cameras and CCTVs around the sea, marinas, beaches, and ports. This collection features real-time recordings from at least 30 maritime surveillance cameras worldwide, situated in both public and private domains.

Engaging with these live broadcasts, I immersed myself in ocean surveillance, capturing extensive hours of real-time footage. I often found myself screen-recording security camera feeds throughout nights, creating time-lapses highlighting the obsession arising from such unrestricted access.

Motivated by the impactful research of Forensic Architecture, particularly their investigations into the surveillance of the Mediterranean, my goal is to repurpose these surveillance technologies to expose the neglect of individuals in distress at sea. Inspired by the 'disobedient gaze' exercise, my project reveals the paradox of a heavily monitored ocean where migrant rafts founder without necessary assistance, sometimes purposefully overlooked.

As the footage transitions between various coastal locations and the open sea, frames captured by surveillance cameras often remain vacant and tranquil. In these sequences, the desire for something to unfold is palpable—a yearning for action to break the monotony. The project explores the tension between the omnipresent surveillance gaze and the vast, elusive nature of the sea.

The video work begins with contemplative surveillance footage, gradually compiling and altering scenes. Sounds sampled from a US Marine video and composed synth elements echo the cyber-like surveillance eyes, pulsating with electricity. Rhythmic pulses mimic the ocean waves, intensifying with the pacing of grainy surveillance footage. The climax reveals an overlooked migrant raft, transparent and fleeting, leaving a deliberate blind spot in the surveillance footage—a negative space prompting contemplation on intentional omissions. "Surveilling the Savage Sea" visually portrays the absurdity of human efforts to monitor the vast and insurmountable sea.