This project was commissioned by Channel 4 Television as part of their 'Big Art Project'. The overall aim of the project was to create new public artworks around the UK. My commission was for a work outside of the Channel 4 headquarters in London.
My project situated an open access 'video booth' at the bottom of a large structure based on the Channel 4 logo. Members of the public, staff and local residents were invited to use the booth to record short films explaining their feelings and opinions about Channel 4, television and life in general. These films were then made into a weekly edit that were thenbroadcasted on the screens on the sculpture.
My point of departure for the project was the defunct Channel 4 show "Right to Reply" in which viewers entered a video booth and recorded their responses to programmes. I was also interested in the very detailed Offcom guidelines about television programming particularly following the criticism of Channel 4 following the Big Brother racism row.
One important element of the project was the editing process. A weekly edit was made of the material that had been gathered, this was done to Channel 4's normal broadcasting guidelines and therefore to Offcom's standards. It is important to me that even when given a seemingly open platform, we are also aware that broadcast material is always mediated in some form or other. The very legislation that is used to protect us also limits what we are able to say about what we see.
