Title:
IDUK
Location: Performance at all gallery Launch
Events
Sam’s IDUK performance commences at the launch of the Day-to-Day
Data project on 20 July 2005 at Angel Row Gallery and continues throughout
the exhibition tour at the other two gallery launch events. His plan is to carry
out his own census of UK citizens by counting everyone in the British Isles
one-by-one. After you are counted, you’re presented with an official numbered
badge and added to the ever expanding IDUK database. Be sure to come
along to one of the three launch events and be counted!
a UK citizen being counted
‘Citizenship suggests we should be involved in improving
society. However, in aspiring to be the dream citizen and undertaking a gigantic
bureaucratic task for the benefit of society, Curtis is actually viewed as
a nuisance by the authorities and they remain sceptical and untrusting. Although
his plan is ultimately flawed, it comments on our problems with the increasing
value of personal data and on the alarming methods of identification that
are rapidly infiltrating our daily lives. By committing himself to the collective,
this unsung hero raises the question of how individuals and the authorities
see their roles in society and their relationship to each other.’ Citizen’s
evaluation.
I am on a quest to single-handedly count and
record the personal data of all the people living in the United Kingdom. In
doing this I will resolve our identity fraud and national security issues.
In response to the Government’s proposed identity card scheme I have
developed my own – the Identity Badge. It is effective, will not be
costly and is not obtrusive fashion-wise.
My scheme works by replacing the identity card with
a uniquely numbered badge which is presented to each person I count. Their
personal data is recorded on a registration form which will be stored until
I donate all the data to the Home Office. The Home Office has been notified
of my aims.
Included on the registration form is a biometric in
the form of a fingerprint. Other biometrics such as iris scans and facial
mapping are starting to be more commonly used but I believe fingerprinting
to be the most effective and safe biometric for regular recognition procedures.
I look forward to counting you and I am grateful for your co-operation when
we meet…
Sam Curtis
April 2005
www.scurtis.co.uk
