For centuries the area around what is now The Photographers’ Gallery was synonymous with nightlife. With legendary sites such as Raymond’s Revue Bar to sex shops and peep shows, blackmailers lurked, hoping to snare men visiting prostitutes or hooking up with other men – all while corrupt Metropolitan vice squad officers both patrolled the area and accepted bribes to ignore its activities.
While dildos are still widely available and the Met is still crooked, in the 21st century the area has become the unexpected home to tech giants like Google, Cambridge Analytica and Palantir. Purveyors on a global scale of amorality and social division, they also play a part in the diagonalist journey of many online communities (perhaps including your cousin or a celebrity you used to respect) from harmless centrist clout chasers to radicalised right-wing propagandists.
Join self-appointed corporate inspector Alistair Gentry for a walking tour of the heart of London’s hidden hubs. Accompanied by illuminating commentary from our guide, we’ll delve into corporate tech culture as we photograph and, in turn, surveil the companies that know everything about us but like us to know as little about them as possible… not even where they are.
The tour is a part of the Screen Walks Weekend. It will begin at The Photographers' Gallery and last 60-90 minutes.
Alistair Gentry
Alistair Gentry is an artist and writer. He makes live art, performance lectures, artistic interventions, participatory experiences and live role-playing games, often focusing on communities and audiences outside of conventional gallery or performance spaces. Recent works include year eight of The Portland Office for Imaginary History – a satirical tourist information agency – and DoxBox Trustbot, a tech drag AI puppet for the Open Data Institute.
Screen Walks is a collaborative project by Fotomuseum Winterthur and The Photographers’ Gallery.
