Showcasing Security

Matthias Leese and Emmanuel-Pierre Guittet

2016 - 2019

Security is not only a necessary condition for human existence and any society, but it is at the same time a business opportunity. Today, myriads of services, tools, and technologies are developed, sold and marketed under the headline of security: from locks and cameras for private homes to police equipment and military weapons systems.

In this wide and seemingly boundary-less market, this research project investigates the role of trade-fairs and exhibitions. What do these sites, where producers showcase and sell their products, tell us about the status of security? How do they contribute to a further commodification and commercialization of security? How do they shape and influence the ways in which we produce security and feel secure?