Traces of Surveillance

This project arose from the EU’s 2018 data protection regulation, which allows individuals to request their personal data from companies and organizations. Building on this, I explored the history of Berlin and the Stasi, the East German state security service notorious for its extensive surveillance of citizens, and drew parallels to contemporary data practices on social media, where voluntary participation now enables unprecedented monitoring. During my research, I encountered Josephine Keßling, whose 1,500-page Stasi file is partly accessible online, and meeting her in Berlin offered unique personal insight into privacy and surveillance. To translate these ideas visually, I transformed my own digital data file into an analogue format, using graphic techniques such as typewriting, perforation, stamps, and redaction to evoke the aesthetics of a state security file. The resulting work reflects on the continuity and evolution of surveillance, prompting critical reflection on how we manage and experience our personal data today.