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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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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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  • It’s Day 6 of FOR-SITE’s 5-year “Tree Fall” anniversary and we’re back to the clay! Remember the clay chips we talked about on Day 3? Those were added to a clay pug mill along with water and the prepared hair and mixed to create the clay used for the surface level. Exact measurements of each component were necessary to ensure uniformity in each round of clay. Once the clay was out of the pug mill, it was rolled into uniform patties of approximately 1 – 1.5” thick. (Shout-out to our amazing program director, @jaxvontreskow, working that slab roller in the third photo!) #ArtAboutPlace
  • We’re taking a brief departure from clay for Day 5 of our 5-year “Tree Fall” anniversary to talk about the hair component of the sculpture. What’s that you say? HAIR component?! It’s true—hair is the surprising “ingredient” of “Tree Fall” (or, perhaps not so surprising if you’re familiar with the process of making adobe bricks; the hair—human, horse, or otherwise—provides additional strength to the clay). The human hair used in “Tree Fall” was sourced from @edosalonandgallery. Once amassed, our incredible volunteers sorted, combed, and cut the hair into 1” pieces. #ArtAboutPlace
  • Day 4 of our 5-year “Tree Fall” anniversary has us back with the clay slip. As explained yesterday, some of the slip was used to make clay chips. Slip was also used for mixing with hay (a process that was surprisingly painful, as our comm. & dev. manager @a_m_konecki can attest to—she really should have worn gloves!). The resulting slip-soaked hay mixture formed the base layer of the sculpture, and was woven into the steel caging and the tree by hand by Goldsworthy and his team. This base provided texture crucial for enabling the smoother, outer layer of clay to adhere. #ArtAboutPlace
  • For Day 3 of our 5-year “Tree Fall” anniversary we’re picking up where we left off in the clay processing yesterday. After screening, the resulting slip was poured into drying beds created from plastic sheeting bolstered by wooden planks. The slip was then left to dry and crack in the sun. Simple enough, except we all know how rare full, warm sun is in San Francisco summertime with #karlthefog ☁️always lurking about (particularly in @presidiosf). Although we did get a few clear, sunny days, we often needed backup from large industrial fans. When at last the clay was sufficiently dry, the chips were then harvested by hand. (Shout-out to our executive director @cheryllhaines gathering those chips in photo 4!) #ArtAboutPlace

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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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