The London Eyes

ELN: Students from Goldsmiths, University of London have launched the first ever standalone student art project made specifically for the EDF Energy London Eye.The London Eyes is an audio tour of central London through the eyes of artists and CCTV operators.The project creators on the MA in Art and Politics, Jennifer Maksymetz and Henry Procter, have created a site-specific art project in the form of an alternative audio guide which lasts for the duration of one rotation. The London Eyes will be free to all, asking visitors to look and listen to the myriad ways of observing and surveying London. Selected artists’ impressions of the city are paired with insights from the world of CCTV operators. The London Eyes juxtaposes observation and surveillance in the city of London and aims to inspire discussion around the topic of observation and surveillance in a non-biased way. 
The project could not have been made without the help of eight London-based artists and Professor Gavin Smith from the University of Sydney, who responded to a call-out on the theme of observation and surveillance in London. 
The artists supplied poetry, streams of consciousness, memories and spoken word and Professor Smith helped the project creators access the secret world of the CCTV operator.
The CCTV operators’ quotations in the audio guide are taken from Professor Smith’s essay ‘Behind the Screens: Examining Constructions of Deviance and Informal Practices among CCTV Control Room Operators in the UK’. Once more some of these quotations have been situated in the direct landscape surrounding the EDF Energy London Eye. 
The audio content is based on pure creativity and theory, fused together to make an immersive soundscape; as the most iconic observation point in London, the EDF Energy London Eye proved to be the perfect place to use as a focus point.
Henry Procter said: “London is one of the most culturally rich and dynamic cities in the world, so it makes sense that the London artist might be a good tour-guide. There are however also creative responses to be found when listening to the CCTV operator. Overall the London Eyes as a project addresses a topical subject, emphasizing those behind and in-front of the camera.”
Leah Larkin, EDF Energy London Eye Press Officer, said: “It’s been really interesting being involved in this project. Everyone who visits the London Eye has a completely different appreciation of the views of the city and analysing them from an artistic perspective can add another exciting element to the London Eye experience.”
The London Eyes is available for free download at www.thelondoneyes.com. Information on the project can also be found at: www.londoneye.com/NewsAndEvents/