Export Control
Export Control explores digital sovereignty, surveillance, and resistance by embedding encrypted, inert historical virus binaries within PNG images. Repurposing symbols of digital disruption, the series challenges state and corporate control over information, revealing vulnerabilities in controlled narratives. It emphasizes innovative privacy techniques vital for secure communication in an era of pervasive surveillance and misinformation. Disclaimer: Embedded files are securely encrypted, permanently inert, and pose no functional risk.
The story behind the project
The encryption technology at the project's core, VEILpng, originated from Amadon's 2024 conversation with dissident Hong Kong artist Kacey Wong during a pro-democracy symposium in The Hague about the CCP’s surveillance state. Recognizing an urgent need for secure communication under oppressive regimes, Amadon developed VEILpng - a tool for embedding encrypted data within images. Export Control evolved from this activist-driven foundation, embodying resistance through a fusion of art and technology. Export Control is not an endpoint but a beginning - demonstrating how art and technology can collaboratively challenge control, inspire resistance, and forge paths toward greater digital sovereignty.
