Gallery

Zhan Wang

As an artery of international trade and a crucial part of the global economy, sea born trade routes are heavily monitored by various technologies that enforce regulations and detect irregular activities. The types of economic activities in question are often described as "under the table" and "off the books" as they are not taxed or included in any Gross National Product. Collectively, this type of trade is the world's second largest economy, worth $10 trillion a year and employs over half of the world's population. Sampling a few items contained within 1 pixel displayed on google earth in Mexico City as a shipment to the US, System D logistics aims to reveal the complexity of the transfer of these objects in regards to different regulations. Deploying various tactics along the shipping route to evade detections, the project tries to highlight the extraordinary lengths the authorities go to in order to tax an industry that employs the majority of the population. The technology of surveillance is not infallible, it is full of cracks and represents the interests of those who profit from the regulation of goods.