This is a motion graphic design to reflect the problem of information society. I try to depict the social phenomenon of “Synopticon” by using metaphoric architecture design of panopticon prison which can show the increasing power of counter-surveillance between anonymous people as a consequence of the development of information technology.

Created with Cinema 4D and After Effects.


Voyeuristic Gaze

About

This 3D motion graphic aims to depict the reflection of our society where the surveillance and voyeuristic gaze are being everywhere around us.

Especially numerous invisible electronic footprints and fingerprints are being left without any notice and caution in the cyber space which is able to be accessed anonymously and secretly.

Core Scenes

Part 01.

Monitoring eye surrounded with world wide CCTV screens.

Part 02.

Monitored and captured moments of my information.

Part 03.

Information accessed by anonymous gaze is being accumulated in someone’s storage.


Part 04.

Anonymous other-sized gaze created by our imagination.

Inspiration

Voyeuristic Gaze

‘Le regard’ by Jean Paul Sartre :

The desire to gaze something is being reversely tranfromed into othersized gaze by one’s imagination, which ultimately makes watch over oneself.

‘Illusion of surveillance’ by Marcel Duchamp:

The reversal of voyeuristic gaze is actually a gaze created by oneself, which makes illusion of surveillance by being awared and feeling ashamed of the gaze of another person and clamps oneself in prison.

Research Background

There are optimistic and pessimistic views in the development of information technology.

However, we have to realize the fact that monitoring power is increasing and counter-surveillance among the public using information technology becomes world widely pervasive without specific regulation or law-abiding spirit. It is necessary to distinguish the two sides coherently.

Nowaday, people even allow their surveillance volunteerily to receive one’s benefit and convenience, which is called as “Super panopticon” over the severeness of synopticon (mutual monitoring).

Design Work

Architectural Inspiration by ‘Jeremy Bentham’s Panopticon’

Inspired by panopticon prison (pan:all + opticon:see),

I designed the structure of 3D virtual space architecture as a circular shape with the centeralized sphere representing monitoring power.

On the top view, it seems like the shape of eye which symbolizes the gaze.