What does secrecy look like? How does an information appear when it is a secret, and how does its shape and appearance change when it becomes public? Is it bruised or damaged? If an information or a document is damaged or bruised, does it hold the same value, or has its value decreased in the information economy? What did it lose? its integrity as a secret? What did it gain? did it gain a new identity as an image of a secret? Can a secret have an image without losing its integrity? And finally does a secret and a public image of a secret be two different things? Ashutosh Shaktan will be investigating these questions as part a photography commission by SPIN and the Martin Parr Foundation.
By mixing traditional analogue photographing techniques with the knowledge and information destruction methods used by the state and other organizations, Ashutosh aims to create images that portray secrecy in its visual form. These images will depict bruised and damaged information, exploring the transformation and value of secrets when they are exposed.
For further information about Ashutosh and his projects, visit his website here: https://ashutoshshaktan.com/