Christoph Wachter and Mathias Jud present their art project “Can you hear me?” at the Gray Area Festival. 

The work involved mounting antennae on the roof of the Swiss Embassy in Berlin, where Edward Snowden revealed that British and American spies were spying on the German government and people. Their art installation was an open network that let the world send messages to those US and UK spies listening nearby.

The Gray Area Festival is unique global event focused on advancing open culture and  presents a survey of culture through the lens of art and technology, offering a deeper understanding of the present moment along with visions of the trails and opportunities ahead.

Exhibition hours

July 26, 7 – 11pm
Opening $5-$20 sliding-scale entry. Special performance by Cassie Thorton of Feminist Economics Yoga.

July 27, 12 – 6pm
Free and Open to Public (Quiet viewing during the conference) (closed during night performances)

July 28, 12 – 6pm
Free and Open to Public (Quiet viewing during the conference) (closed during night performances)

July 29, 11am – 6pm
Free and Open to Public (Quiet viewing during workshops)

July 30th – Aug 3rd, 11 – 6pm
Free and Open to Public

For a complete list of festival activities visit grayareafestival.io.

Bios

Christoph Wachter & Mathias Jud

Christoph Wachter and Mathias Jud were both born in Zurich and live and work in Berlin. They are professors at the Weißensee Academy of Art Berlin, have participated in numerous international exhibitions and have been awarded many international prizes. Their art works include open-source projects that uncover forms of censorship of the Internet, undermine the concentration of political power and even resolve the dependency on infrastructure. The tools, provided by the artists, are used by communities in the USA, Europe, Australia and in countries such as Syria, Tunisia, Egypt, Iran, India, China and Thailand. Activists even participate in North Korea.