Louis Veazey | TSA…TS欸?/TS-eh?: Checkpoint Using TSA’s Secret Checklist

 
In a world with increased surveillance, within which every single move and action can be observed, scrutinized, analyzed, and put into a database. Thus this begs the question, how are we being observed exactly, and in what ways are we being observed in certain situations? When one thinks of some situations where one is being closely observed, there are certainly some situations that come to mind such as a military checkpoint, a courthouse entrance, or an airport security checkpoint.
Currently, the TSA – the United States’ airport security agency, uses a set of arbitrary secret rules to identify potentially suspicious individuals based on their appearance, behaviors, movements, and so on. Some of these rules are obvious – such as appearing to be in disguise – while others are so incredibly arbitrary – such as ‘wearing improper attire’ or ‘gazing down’ that any individual may be flagged as being suspicious and certainly are actions or behaviors that almost any traveler may have previously done. Therefore, “TS-eh?” was created as an interactive, automated checkpoint-like installation that draws attention to not only the constant surveillance that people are under in the modern world but also how subjective the rules (published here: ​​https://theintercept.com/2015/03/27/revealed-tsas-closely-held-behavior-checklist-spot-terrorists/) within security agencies’ checklists are.
The project accomplishes this by first presenting itself as an environment that can be very familiar to anyone, especially those who have traveled by air. There are lines on the ground to follow and walk along, and an end-point with a screen. At the same time, there are multiple cameras placed in locations around the walking path, creating a setting in which the subject will know that they are being observed and potentially analyzed. When participating, the subject will be shown on the screen that their body, movement, and clothing are being analyzed as well as their head, eyes, and facial expression afterward. The subject then receives their result of approval or denial based upon the rules within TSA’s checklist, with the denial showing only one reason for their denial, similar to how security checkpoints often are, with those being denied given little or no reason for their denial.