October 14, 2005
random search
Stripping Away Our Liberty
random search--by ayah bdeir--is a subtle, reactive undergarment. It records, shares and studies the experience of invasive airport searches on behalf of our silent, abiding, fearful bodies. A thin suit, worn underneath clothes, is equipped with pressure sensors. Different pressure application results in stronger projection of that search process.
The first appearance of random search was at the Seamless electronic fashion show at the Media Lab. The focus of this prototype was on the behavior of the suit. As the inspector ran his hands and metal detector across the wearer’s body, the suit became a vehicle for the wearer to share the invasive experience she was going through. The suit served as the voice of the wearer, too nervous and worried to verbalize the feeling of physical and moral aggression. As touch and pressure was applied trails of LEDs were triggered, redrawing the pat down process on the traveler's body.
Posted by jo at October 14, 2005 04:28 PM
