Introduction

The work of Julia Scher, which first appeared in the 1980s, is noteworthy for its systematic use of surveillance techniques, particularly CCTV. Scher’s technical background provided her with in-depth knowledge of a range of surveillance systems. She worked at a well-known security firm for a period of time before setting up her own company, Safe and Secure Productions. 

Each of Scher’s installations satirically transforms exhibition spaces into regimes of total control, and as such disturbingly alters the behavior of viewers, who unwittingly become both observers and the observed. At the intersection of both the Orwellian drive for absolute power and the voyeuristic or narcissistic world of intimate, self-referential recordings, Scher’s work presents a tongue-in-cheek reflection on the ideology of security and its dangers. 

Invited to exhibit in the midst of MAMCO’s collections, Scher has chosen to greet visitors with an updated version of the artist’s Girl Dogs (2005–2021)—twin female Doberman statues in marble. The greeting they convey to visitors is akin to the tonalities of a warm, anonymous voice typically used for public announcements.

Also on view is Hidden Camera (Architectural Vagina) (1991–2018): in an upper corner of the room, a poorly disguised camera placed in the midst of a bouquet of carnivalesque fuchsia-colored feathers. As reflected in its title, the work is vaginal-shaped, evoking the feminist dimension present throughout Scher’s work.