The “Datamirror” project by Anders Eiebakke and Nando Schneider enables us to look at the digital raw materials that, according to the current AI narrative, increasingly determine our everyday reality. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are central concepts of today. These key words accompany both salutary and frightening visions of the future. Just as coal and iron were central raw materials for the industrial revolution, data are the raw materials of today's global digital economy. These data not only play a role in the field of target advertising, but are also crucial in racial profiling by state institutions and authorities or in the insurance sector.
“Datamirror” aims to expose and investigate these digital raw materials and technologies that are influencing our everyday reality more and more. In passing, passers-by can look at a “Datamirror” in the shop window. After consent via gestures, data is displayed to them in the "data mirror" with the help of a camera and a screen, which are generated by well-known large tech companies based on their own reflection. A process that – mostly unnoticed by us – is already happening in many areas of life is revealed by the artists. At first glance, the data collected from the images, such as eye or hair colour, state of mind, or the distance between ears and corners of the mouth, appear meaningless. In the further processing, however, the dimensions and the potential of these data become apparent, on the basis of which statements can then be made about any number of connections – ethnicity, financial status, buying or voting behaviour are just a few of them. The “Datamirror” project deals with these issues and is an invitation to passers-by to self-reflect on the mirror-image versus the digital appearance of one's own person in public space.
In their projects, Nando Schneider and Anders Eiebakke question the technologies and structures used by state or economic authorities. While most people might fear real time video surveillance, Schneider and Eiebakke are more concerned about the metadata we leave as digital traces at ATMs, toll roads, through cell phone base stations, apps, and internet activity. Algorithms and the combination of such data allows for the prediction of our future actions. They claim it has never been more important with active participation by civic society in understanding, and discussing the current state of technology. They understand their projects as a contribution to civil self-empowerment in relation to technology and the future beyond blind consent, but also diffuse fear of fear.
Anders Eiebakke (*1970, lives in Oslo) is working with drone technology since 2007 and investigates use of this technology by government authorities as well as its civic purpose. His works have been presented at among other PAM 18 in Munich, Germany, Manifesta 8, Murcia, Spain, The shadow of War: 100 years of Norwegian political art, Kunstnernes Hus, Oslo, Norway, Palais de Tokyo in Paris, France, The National Theatre in Oslo, Norway and Piksel 17 festival for electronic art in Bergen, Norway. His commissioned work «Seagull 1.0» from 2016 in The Norwegian Data Protection Agency was the culmination of a decade of working with drone technology.
Significant to Nando Schneiders (*1982, lives in Munich) artistic work is a scientific and collaborative approach. He has studied musicology, philosophy and computer science and is questioning social norms and conventions, digitization and intellectual property, see among others the performance lecture “Blütenlesen” Akademiegalerie, Munich, the interactive sound installation “Back to the Roots of Measurements and Beyond”, Kunstverein Munich or the installation “Stealing Fire From The Gods”, SOEHT7, Berlin, his first cooperation with Anders Eiebakke.
Since 2018 the two artists are working together on projects investigating surveillance technologies. The project “Datamirror” evolved based on Schneider's understanding of computer technologies and interactive installations in combination with Eiebakke's interest in merging experiences from facial recognition software and nature studies.
Datamirror by Nando Schneider and Anders Eiebakke 2020