SCHIRN, Frankfurt, 2020:

The SCHIRN is dedi­cating an inter­na­tional group exhi­bi­tion to espi­onage with its power to fasci­nate, illu­mi­nating this theme as a current source of artistic inspi­ra­tion. Although spies are presented as glam­orous in popular culture, the infor­ma­tion they obtain from covert campaigns is socially explo­sive. Espi­onage is linked to the unau­tho­rized procure­ment of rare secrets or confi­den­tial infor­ma­tion. While in the past national govern­ments spied on indi­vid­uals or states, in times of digital commu­ni­ca­tion private indi­vid­uals are now able to reveal hidden govern­mental secrets or whistle­blowers can expose govern­ments spying on their own citi­zens. This has created the perfect grounds for a renewed interest in the mech­a­nisms of secrecy.