![](\"https:\/\/streettech.com\/storypics\/elahiInterview.jpg\")
<\/center> <\/p>\n A few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of going to the Civilian Art gallery here in DC, to the opening of a show by Hasan Elahi. Elahi, a Bangladeshi-born American artist and Rutgers professor, was held and interrogated by the FBI for several days in the wake of 9\/11. Even after being released, his name appeared on terrorist watch lists. In response to this nightmare, he did something unusual, he opened up his entire life to scrutiny and self-surveillance. He created a project he dubbed Tracking Transience: The Orwell Project<\/a>, taking pictures and keeping records of everything, from the hotel rooms he’s stayed in, to the food he’s eaten, to urinals he has known (see above). In the gallery show, and on his website, GPS location shows his whereabouts at all times. The effect of all this is unnerving, and sad, “lifecasting”<\/a> as desperate survival strategy. <\/p>\n Clive Thompson has a piece about Elahi is the latest Wired (June). And on the Provisions Library blog, Signal Fire, Niels Van Tomme has an interview<\/a> with the artist. The Civilian show closes this Friday (June 9). <\/p>\n So, after being determined innocent of any wrongdoing, Elahi is left alone now, right? Wrong. Here’s what he says about his current status (and his feelings about America) on Signal Fire: <\/p>\n “I get harassed still to this day\u2013 every time I fly through Kennedy airport I get taken in for hours. Other airports are hit or miss. To be honest, I have very good reason not to live here after all this, but remain here. This is home, this is where I grew up, I\u2019m an American citizen and this is my country. So it does pose a very interesting question when your idea of the country does not necessarily reflect your government\u2019s policies. I am certainly indebted to the US for what I\u2019ve established here with my citizenship, it would\u2019ve been impossible growing up in a small village in Bangladesh. On the other hand, I don\u2019t agree with what our government is doing and that\u2019s one of the reasons I\u2019m doing this project.” <\/p>\n
![\"Digg!\"\/](\"http:\/\/digg.com\/img\/badges\/91x17-digg-button-alt.gif\")
<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"