Sunday, March 19, 2006



Whilst reading Web.Studies during the first year of my degree I came across an internet artist named Ana Voog.

Voog's website features a live webcam feed that is updated every 5 minutes [30 seconds if you subscribe to the site]. Voog describes the site as "a window into my house, into my life ( not my life itself, a PICTURE of my life, please note the difference), my art, how i view things".

She doesn't class the project as being intrusive or voyeuristic as she has invited the viewers into her world. Over the years Voog has changed her perception ofthe project. She no longer feels that it is about her, but it is about the viewers. " what do YOU see here? what do YOU think this site is about? and what does that say about YOU? :) what does it say about your ideas, morals, ethics, boundaries, state of mind...when you feel and think about this site? that is my question to you..." she says of her changing view.

Voog also regards the site as an experiment, an investigation into human behaviour. She speaks with her viewers via email and on her IRC channel and her conversations or interviews with them help her to shape her theories regarding the people who view her site.

Voog does not regard herself as an exhibitionist [but possibly as a nudist] as she doesn't gain pleasure by knowing that people are watching her online. She does however take a certain amount of comfort from the knowledge that she is being watchedn as she sleeps.

This view makes me see the connection between the project and CCTV and what it is used for in our towns and cities.

CCTV-style footage is something that I wish to look into further for me experimental website.

The Peeping Moe website offers a tutorial for starting your own webcam - this site is recommended by Voog.

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