24h Sunset/Sunrise v2

There is always a sunset happening somewhere in the world. And a sunrise too. This installation brings these opposites together on two screens. They show a sunrise and sunset taking place live, using images from unsecured surveillance cameras. A simple display accompanies them, showing where in the world the images are coming from and what time it is there.

24h Sunset/Sunrise v2 is a live multimedia installation by media artist Dries Depoorter and singer-songwriter Shishani Vranckx. Depoorter makes installations, apps, and games dealing with themes such as privacy, artificial intelligence, surveillance, and social media. His work often focuses on the darker sides of these technologies. This latest installation shows that surveillance cameras can sometimes also capture beauty—intentionally or unintentionally. Depoorter’s poetic camera hack is accompanied by a soundscape by Vranckx, whose work is influenced by contemporary African, Afro-American, and Western European music traditions.

Winner of the 2020 Netherlands Film Fund DocLab Interactive Grant.