The panopticon is a disciplinary concept brought to life in the form of a central observation tower placed within a circle of prison cells, where the prisoners cannot determine whether they are being watched by the guard at any given moment.
Living under constant surveillance, there is a continuous fear of being observed, even if there is nobody there to observe them. The artist stands in the middle of society’s chaos, and observes and documents their surroundings. Tomo77 imagines the world post-pandemic as a system of power and control, as it tries to recover rapidly from global crisis.
With more access to media than ever before, it is even more important to consider how art can serve as a panopticon, a way to observe society, and its values in order to maintain balance and justice. The role of the artist in the world is to be an observer – to be vigilant.
