Paper Reading # 4 - Layered Surveillance

Reference:
Celine Latulipe & Annabel Manning
CHI 2010, April 10–15, 2010, Atlanta, Georgia, USA.

Summary
This paper describes the use of art and technology to explore U.S. - Mexico border crossings and surveillance. Manning describes an interactive way to present her artwork with the help of technology. The purpose of using the technology is to provide the viewers with some control of the artwork. The two techniques that are described are interactive lenses work and  interactive layers work. Interactive lenses work portrays static images that are controlled by participants using wireless mice to control particular lenses. With the interactive layers  technique participants control various different aspects of the artwork such as brightness, and different levels of detail. Manning is an artist that depicts Latino immigrants under surveillance on the U.S.-Mexico border. Manning provides the digital photos and videos that are used in the interaction, and Latulipe provides the software to create the moving videos.
Discussion
I thought both of the interaction techniques depicted in this paper can make the viewers appreciate the artwork more than a work hanged in a wall. It is interesting how they present technology to increase the engagement of the viewers. What caught my attention was the fact that the artwork being presented by Manning was surveillance of Hispanic immigrants on the U.S. - Mexico border. She believes that artists are important players in current immigration debates, and that is certainly a point of view that I do not agree with.