Full Description
The book Reversed Surveillance is a visualisation of invasive surveillance technologies, challenging the prospect
of automating crime detection during protests in France. The project reflects on the development and
legislation of mass surveillance by offering a case study on how individuals can protect themselves using the
very tools with which they are surveilled. The project bases on the idea that since it is unlikely to fully revert
surveillance and its effects on society, society should explore ways to reverse its impact. In Reversed
Surveillance, Marcel Top demonstrates the potential of reversing surveillance dynamics to protect the right to
protest: by gaining knowledge of accessible surveillance tools, it is possible to ensure police accountability.
Marcel Top is a visual artist living and working between Belgium and London. His work explores themes of mass
surveillance, privacy, and data collection. In his practice, Top blends traditional documentary research with
experimental uses of new technologies. He initiated the Reversed Surveillance project following the enactment
of new legislation allowing the use of AI-enhanced surveillance in France (Law No. 2023-380), using accessible
algorithms and available protest footage to simulate how the use of Algorithmic Video Surveillance (AVS) can
impact protesters.
