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Home Land Security

Trevor Paglen

Operation Onymous (FBI Investigation of the Silk Road) and Code Names of the Surveillance State

As cyber threats increasingly push security efforts into virtual realms, Trevor Paglen’s work examines the many facets of government intelligence. Installed in a building that once served as home to the 902nd Military Intelligence Group — in a vault that housed classified documents — Operation Onymous (FBI Investigation of the Silk Road) invokes the motif of an FBI challenge coin, a cryptic medallion recognizing an agent’s affiliation with the organization; the coin featured here was given to those who aided the takedown of the notorious Silk Road darknet market in San Francisco. Code Names of the Surveillance State presents a scrolling list of more than 4,000 code names used by the National Security Agency (NSA) and Government Communications Headquarters (GCHQ) for surveillance programs.

  • Trevor Paglen, Operation Onymous (FBI Investigation of the Silk Road), 2016; high-density epoxy and chrome; courtesy the artist and Altman Siegel Gallery, San Francisco; © Trevor Paglen; photo: Robert Divers Herrick
    Trevor Paglen, Operation Onymous (FBI Investigation of the Silk Road), 2016; high-density epoxy and chrome; courtesy the artist and Altman Siegel Gallery, San Francisco; © Trevor Paglen; photo: Robert Divers Herrick
    Trevor Paglen, Operation Onymous (FBI Investigation of the Silk Road), 2016; high-density epoxy and chrome; courtesy the artist and Altman Siegel Gallery, San Francisco; © Trevor Paglen; photo: Robert Divers Herrick
    Trevor Paglen, Code Names of the Surveillance State, 2014; four-channel HD video installation, looped, no sound; courtesy the artist and Metro Pictures, New York; photo: Nina Dietzel
    Trevor Paglen, Code Names of the Surveillance State, 2014; four-channel HD video installation, looped, no sound; courtesy the artist and Metro Pictures, New York; photo: Robert Divers Herrick
    Trevor Paglen, Code Names of the Surveillance State, 2014; four-channel HD video installation, looped, no sound; courtesy the artist and Metro Pictures, New York; photo: Robert Divers Herrick
    Installation Views
Trevor PaglenAmerican, born 1974

Trevor Paglen uses his training as a photographer and geographer to explore the worlds of government intelligence and surveillance. He describes his efforts on the periphery of government secrecy as an important exercise: “If you don’t flex those rights, they go away.” His work has been exhibited internationally, earning such honors as the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art’s SECA Award, the Electronic Frontier Foundation’s Pioneer Award, and the Deutsche Börse Photography Prize.

Trevor Paglen website

Code Names of the Surveillance State (installation view, detail), 2014; four-channel HD video installation, looped, no sound; courtesy the artist and Metro Pictures, New York; photo: Robert Herrick

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    • @Large: Ai Weiwei on Alcatraz
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    • International Orange
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    • The Marvelous Museum: A Mark Dion Project
    • Pae White: In Between the Outside-In
    • Chris Drury: Mushrooms | Clouds
    • Shi Guorui: Reproduction and Refashioning
    • Richard Long: The Path Is the Place Is the Line
    • New Work by Cornelia Parker
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Sanctuary Salon (February 23, 2018)

Sanctuary Salon (February 23, 2018)

Echoing Sanctuary's ethos of plurality, the "Sanctuary Salon" series weaves together the voices of artists whose practices span creative disciplines, including ...

Brendan Fernandes: Safely (2017)

Brendan Fernandes: Safely (2017)

As part of his commission for "Sanctuary," Brendan Fernandes presented a site-specific durational performance that explored themes of reverence and sacred ...

Panel Discussion: Approaching the Rug as a Critical Form

Panel Discussion: Approaching the Rug as a Critical Form

Panel Discussion "Above the Rug: Approaching the Rug as a Critical Form" February 11, 2018 Historically and traditionally, rugs are a medium for cultural ...

Sanctuary

Sanctuary



Sanctuary Salon (January 26, 2018)

Sanctuary Salon (January 26, 2018)

Echoing the ethos of plurality embodied within FOR-SITE's exhibition "Sanctuary," the "Sanctuary Salon" series weaves together the voices of artists whose ...

Sanctuary Salon (December 14, 2017)

Sanctuary Salon (December 14, 2017)

Echoing the ethos of plurality embodied within FOR-SITE's exhibition "Sanctuary," the "Sanctuary Salon" series weaves together the voices of artists whose ...

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  • It's a full house (er, Chapel) tonight for FOR-SITE's first #Sanctuary Salon https://t.co/ABOANPBfeV
  • Happening now: Free #silkscreening workshops with #SanctuaryPrintShop outside #Sanctuary @FortMasoninSF Chapel https://t.co/4BGs628mct

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  • FOR-SITE visited “Joan Jonas: They Come to Us without a Word” at @fortmasoncenter today and were struck by the installation “Nine Trees.” The work was originally made for the courtyard of the U.S. Pavilion in Venice, and consisted of trunks harvested from Certosa Island, a former military site in the Venetian Lagoon. Fittingly, the piece at Fort Mason incorporates eucalyptus trees from @presidiosf (also a former military site). As with the rest of “They Come to Us without a Word,” the piece speaks to the human impact on nature and existing ecosystems. The Presidio eucalyptus used in the work is a non-native species that was planted by the U.S. Army in the 1880’s, and fundamentally changed the landscape from windswept sand to the existing park forest. 
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Joan Jonas: They Come to Us without a Word” is on view in Gallery 308 @fortmasoncenter Wed. - Sat. Noon to 8pm and Sun. 11am to 5pm through March 10. Admission is free, but reserving tickets in advance via the Fort Mason website is strongly encouraged.

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#ArtAboutPlace #PublicArt #ArtAtTheFort
  • A burst of sun amidst the storm had us running outside to take in the moment of reprieve. And there it was — a lovely rainbow 🌈 Having an office at @fortmasoncenter definitely has its #WorkPerks.
  • Didn’t snag an RSVP to @cheryllhaines’ sold-out talk February 6? Don’t worry — a video of the event will be posted to the @thachergalleryusf’s YouTube channel a week or so later. We’ll be sure to direct you there once it’s available! 
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Bonus: February 6 is also the Community Town Hall hosted by San Francisco Arts Commission and Grants for the Arts where they will share the proposed plan for implementing the new Arts Impact Endowment Fund and father feedback from the public. Make your thoughts known! The event is free, but registration is required. Link in bio. 📷: Jan Stürmann

#ArtAboutPlace
  • Peruse catalogues, check out art, or just have a chat — we’re at @untitledartfair today until 8pm and Saturday and Sunday from noon until 6pm.

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Field Notes

  • Allison Stone talks Art in the Presidio

  • Art in the Parks and “Home Land Security”: A Partner’s Perspective

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