Plummer-Fernandez’s triptych The Codification of Leadership (2014) uses graphically distorted images showing former US president George W. Bush at the signing of far-reaching legislation: the Patriot Acts, the Homeland Security Acts, and Intelligent Reform Acts. These three acts were signed into law by the Bush administration over the course of the fight against terrorism and include, among others, the large-scale surveillance of American citizens in the name of public safety. The scope and complexity involved in the execution of these laws mean their implementation is increasingly taken over by algorithms that are more and more beyond the control of humans.
Sergey Harutoonian
