Studio Fontana

(De)coding Bodies: Surveillance, Sport and Biopolitics (2023)


What

Taking place at the Van Abbe Museum in Eindhoven during Dutch Design Week 2023, this conversation between designers Gabriel Fontana and Kaan Hiçyılmaz explores the relationship between sports and biopolitics.

Why

In today's data-driven society, our bodies have transformed into places of surveillance, becoming more than just flesh and bones. They've morphed into valuable data points and subjects of control. This talk proposes to dig deep into these pressing concerns, examining how our physical selves are being intricately monitored, coded, and shaped by external forces.

How

Fontana's work will first highlight how sport serves as a biopolitical arena, acting as its own form of surveillance that shapes societal norms and identities from a young age. Next, through the lens of Hiçyılmaz, we'll explore the pervasive role of modern surveillance technologies like CCTVs and wearables in logging our every move and behavior. Together, these perspectives will provide invaluable insights into how we can start reclaiming our bodily autonomy and freeing ourselves from these normative, controlling structures.


This event is a collaborative effort, organized by the Embassy of Inclusive Society and Onomatopee X Baltan Laboratories, each hosting exhibitions that delve into these overlapping themes.


  • Color combinations of the Multiform outfits © Gabriel Fontana, 2019.