Street View Stills

This project is a digital curation of images captured through Google Street View, a tool that documents our world with a fixed-rate camera system attached to various modes of transportation. My fascination with this technology emerged during the Covid-19 lockdown, when my inability to venture outside led me to explore these virtual landscapes as a means of artistic expression.

As I delved into the ethics surrounding this imaging system, I confronted complex questions about consent and privacy. Many subjects captured in these images exist in a state of unawareness, desiring to remain "off the grid." Initially, I approached this project with a simple curiosity, but I soon discovered the profound implications of capturing moments in time without permission.

The vast digital library created by Google is so immense that it often loops over previously photographed areas, allowing for a unique form of digital time travel. This endless documentation raises ethical dilemmas: Should a photographer intervene in a scene, or simply document it as it is? The algorithmic nature of this system continues to record, often blurring or censoring sensitive content, such as accidents or personal tragedies.

Through this project, I aim to explore the intersection of technology, ethics, and the human experience, inviting viewers to reflect on the implications of our increasingly mapped world and the unseen stories behind each captured moment.