After 29 years following the fall of The Berlin Wall, the State Security Service (Stasi) acts still as a global synonym for the modern police state. My own secret file 1214/87 contained meticulous photocopies of correspondence and index cards to record the evidence the Stasi found while searching through my mail, the fronts and the backs of envelopes — and simple picture postcards. We were transparent beings. I could not believe the absurd pettiness and the sheer volume of manpower involved in collecting, checking and vetting the nation’s mail.

68X48cm; Giclée ink jet print on INNOVA White Matte 285g mounted on dibond with a matt seal, Limited edition of 10

My artistic investigation has been concerned with the formal and structural aspect of the retrieved data and their development into more abstract, visual formations.
The following abbreviations refer to the official code words and descriptions used by the Stasi in the file.The 6 digit numbers refer to the page numbers set by the new authority.
DA
An investigation into whether my postal address was used as a mail drop
KRV
An investigation into a conspiracy between a former GDR citizen and a citizen living in the GDR
Druckspuren
An investigation into pressure marks on one of the letters I received from the West
VHS
A filing system of index cards for 'search and evidence' investigations
XX
Department XX was responsible for the security and control of government departments
AK2
A registration of students and staff of the Humboldt University Berlin