FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
February 2, 2004
Turbulence Commission: "The SWIPE Toolkit" by Beatriz da Costa, Jamie
Schulte, and Brooke Singer
http://turbulence.org/works/swipe

With one swipe–that often occurs without notification or consent by the
cardholder–a business can acquire data that can be used to build a
valuable consumer database free of charge. Post 9/11, other businesses,
like hospitals and airports, are installing driver's license readers in
the name of security. And still other businesses are joining the rush to
scan as they realize the information contained on driver's licenses is a
potential gold mine.

"The SWIPE Toolkit" is a collection of web-based tools that shed light
on personal data collection and usage practices in the United States. It
demonstrates the value of personal information on the open market and
enables people to access information encoded on a driver's license or
stored in some of the many commercial data warehouses.

"With public knowledge there is a chance for public voices, and
ultimately resistance," say da Costa, Schulte and Singer. "Our hope is
to encourage thinking beyond the individual self ("I do not care if a
bar database has my name and address and time of visit…") toward
understanding databases as a discursive, organizational practice and an
essential technique of power in today's social field."

"The SWIPE Toolkit" is a 2003 commission of New Radio and Performing
Arts, Inc. (aka Ether-Ore) for its Turbulence web site. It was made
possible with funding from the Jerome Foundation.

BIOGRAPHIES

BEATRIZ DA COSTA is a Machine Artist and Tactical Media Practitioner. In
addition to her collaborations with Jamie Schulte and Brooke Singer,
Beatriz has worked with Critical Art Ensemble since the summer 2000 and
has taken part in the development and implementation of various bio-tech
initiatives and models of contestational science. Beatriz's work has
been exhibited at the New Museum in New York, ISEA in Japan, and the
World Information Organization in Belgrade. She recently joined the
faculty of UC Irvine as an Assistant Professor of Studio Art, Electrical
Engineering and Computer Science.

JAMIE SCHULTE is an engineer with an interest in designing systems that
engage human aesthetics, culture, and politics. He received Masters
degrees in Electrical and Computer Engineering and in Knowledge
Discovery and Data Mining (KDD) from Carnegie Mellon University. He is
currently a robotics researcher at Stanford University. He has exhibited
work throughout the U.S as well as internationally, including in Canada,
Germany, Austria, England, and Brazil.

BROOKE SINGER is a digital media artist and arts organizer who lives in
New York City. She has exhibited and presented work throughout the U.S.
and internationally, including at the Biennale de Montreal; Break 2.2
Festival, Ljubljana, Slovenia; Subtle Technologies, University of
Toronto, Canada; FILE 2002 Festival, Sao Paulo, Brazil; and SIGGRAPH
2002. In conjunction with NYCwireless (www.nycwireless.net), Brooke is
co-producing "Art in the Wireless Park" events, bringing networked art
off the screen and into public spaces. She was recently appointed
Assistant Professor of New Media at SUNY Purchase.

For more information about Turbulence, please visit http://turbulence.org