The purpose of this project is to examine and produce works
of “Soft Espionage” that slowly reveal hidden information to encourage
engagement and form connections between a creator and target audience. Through the inclusion of sensory detail, interactive elements, and the application of familiar outdated materials, I explore how to influence expectations of institutional spaces and narratives and gently provoke meaningful interaction with them. I argue that expansive approaches to publication and exhibition design prove to be extremely effective for disseminating secret communications. This document synthesizes Jacques Rancière’s theories on dissensus and the writings of Michel de Certeau and Walter Benjamin on quotidian and profane objects. I also examine contemporary creative practices that correspond to the criteria of “Soft Espionage” and secret art. Covert information gathering and sharing tactics borrowed from espionage tropes and declassified spy manuals inform methods of creative process. Final outcomes such as artist books, cassette tapes, garments, performance, and immersive installation endeavor to offer obscured information that reflects contemporary relationships to communication and information accessibility. These works highlight the current disparity between widespread access to information and communication versus quality of communication, and the resulting diminished shared experiences and emotional connections.