Surveillance/Intimacy

Abstract

Armenia faces international conflicts especially with Azerbaijan and Turkey. There is always a chance of a sudden intensification of conflicts what results in extreme militarization of country as well as strengthened social control. Social control gains new level as the relation between government and society is also complicated. As a consequence the country and Yerevan city is highly surveilled. The presence of surveillance surely guarantees a certain level of security, but it also affect the privacy and even intimacy of society. This problem escalates when cultural aspect of Armenians is taken into a count. Armenians give a great value for family cult and fellowship. Expressions of intimate relationship often appear in Yerevan city especially in the places where their relatives stay. Such relationship always occur under the gaze of surveillers what becomes problematic as they are not even capable to escape it.
Research findings led to a design of reality show studio which in a form of scenography demonstrates the condition of repressive surveillance and lack of privacy commonly seen the city of Yerevan. Such program was also chosen as the participants are always under the gaze. Reality show fulfills the mental satisfaction of the one who watches it since it delivers voyeuristic elements or cultivates unusual behavior of the participants.