Julian Oliver: COVER ME at Link Point

On Saturday, March 28, 2015, the project COVER ME by Julian Oliver will be presented at Link Point, Brescia. Originally conceived for the exhibition at Link Cabinet on January 2015, the artwork will be on display for the first time in a physical venue.

 
Link Point
Saturday, March 28, 2015
6.30 – 9.30 PM
Via Alessandro Monti 13
25121 – Brescia – Italy
Press Inquires:
info@linkartcenter.eu
matteo.cremonesi@linkartcenter.eu

 

 
The project consists in a gallery of Creative Commons licensed photographs found on Flickr that the artist transformed into data containers for distributing Snowden files. Using a method known as “steganography”, the artist embedded the volatile data into images matching the search queries “island getaway” and “beach paradise”, without visibly changing their appearance. Here, the act of sharing comforting, tranquil images helps to counterbalance the bleakness and anxiety enshrouding clandestine leaks while broadening the potential for redistribution.
 
With ignorance as a robust excuse, the images can be safely shared among colleagues at work, uploaded back to Flickr or used as a desktop background while crossing borders. The exhibition in a public space like the Link Point will be an occasion to further spread the leaked files offline: the public will have free access to the classified documents while having a view on the gorgeous pictures selected by the artist.
 

 
Julian Oliver is a New Zealander, Critical Engineer and artist based in Berlin. His work and lectures have been presented at many museums, galleries, international electronic-art events and conferences, including the Tate Modern, Transmediale, the Chaos Computer Congress, Ars Electronica, FILE and the Japan Media Arts Festival. Julian has received several awards, most notably the distinguished Golden Nica at Prix Ars Electronica 2011 for the project Newstweek (with Daniil Vasiliev).
 

 
The event “Julian Oliver: COVER ME” at Link Point is part of the side programme of the exhibition Networked Disruption, curated by Tatiana Bazzichelli and produced by Aksioma and Drugo more in collaboration with several partners. Currently hosted by Škuc Gallery in Ljubljana (March 11 – April 3, 2015), the exhibition will travel to the Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art (MMSU) in Rijeka (April 23 – May 14, 2015). More info here.
 
This event is realized in the framework of Masters & Servers, a joint project by Aksioma (SI), Drugo more (HR), Abandon Normal Devices (UK), Link Art Center (IT) and d-i-n-a / The Influencers (ES) that was awarded with a Creative Europe 2014 – 2020 grant. For 24 months, Masters & Servers will explore networked culture in the post-digital age.
 

 
This project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This communication reflects the views only of the author, and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.