Seeing you/ Seeing Me – Art and The Disembodied Eye

The cities of Belfast and Derry in Northern Ireland, until recently, were heavily fortified and defended, and as such were where the physical apparatus of the ‘political troubles’ could best be experienced. These cities have been marked, segregated and intensely surveyed. Temporary barricades between the two rival communities were erected or dismantled over the years, or settled into permanent acceptance as necessary ‘so-called’ peace lines. Army and police vehicles and helicopters daily paraded or surveyed the cities, while army and police stations became more and more designed for long term fortification. From strategically selected buildings in both cities extensive and sophisticated surveillance equipment panned ‘hot’ areas of the urban environment. This essay analyses and evaluates the art practices of a number of artists who engaged with issues of surveillance and intelligence gathering - among them Willie Doherty, Paul Seawright, Locky Morris ,Philip Napier and Rita Duffy.