SSN 2022 Arts Prize

The Surveillance Studies Network (SSN) is dedicated to the study of surveillance in all its forms. It promotes innovative and multidisciplinary work on surveillance, including research that bridges different academic fields, furthers the understanding of surveillance in wider society, and informs information policy and political debate. As a registered charitable company, the SSN is committed to the free distribution of scholarly products, including the publication of Surveillance & Society, the leading peer-reviewed journal dedicated to surveillance studies.

As part of its mandate, the SSN seeks to encourage creative and artistic practices engaging with the topic of surveillance. As such, the Surveillance Studies Network Arts Prize is a bi-annual award that recognizes and publicly supports artwork centred on critical readings of surveillance. Following the success of its two previous Arts Prizes in 2018 and 2020, the SSN is delighted to announce the call for nominations to the 2022 competition.

Award

All submissions are adjudicated by a committee composed of members of the SSN board. The award for first prize is £250 and up to three honourable mentions will receive £100. Additionally, the winner and each honourable mention will receive a fee waiver for conference registration at the forthcoming SSN Conference to be held 01-03 June 2022 at Erasmus University Rotterdam, The Netherlands, as well as coverage in a Surveillance & Society forum discussing the work. Funds permitting, winning artists will also receive an invitation to showcase their work, or a representation of it, in an onsite or virtual exhibition during SSN’s 2022 conference.

Please note that, due to the rapidly evolving COVID-19 pandemic, the format of the 2022 SSN conference and thus the administration of the Arts Prize may be subject to change to accommodate changing public health measures.

The nominated work must be an original art project that was produced or exhibited in the 2019, 2020, or 2021 calendar years. The following criteria will be used to adjudicate the nominations:

1. demonstrates a thematic fit with the critical orientation of the Surveillance Studies Network and Surveillance & Society;
2. exhibits theoretical sophistication;
3. produces new and unique ways of thinking about modes of surveillance;
4. and promotes audience engagements.

Deadlines and Forms

The call for nominations closes on 30 November at 11:59pm EST, with the selected artworks announced in January 2022. To nominate an artwork for the upcoming competition, please download and complete the following form: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1gSbgzAPX-3MM4ufcvY0Yr84BTz9IxHmI/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=113188570049587824126&rtpof=true&sd=true. Self-nominations are welcome.

For further information, please contact Susan Cahill, Arts Editor of Surveillance & Society at susan.cahill@ucalgary.ca and include the heading “SSN Arts Prize”.

*Submission forms are hosted by Google. For a PDF version, please send a request to susan.cahill@ucalgary.ca with the heading “SSN Arts Prize form—PDF request”.