Through a series of silver gelatin prints, Observations on Surveillance explores the use of surveillance and security as an extension of the prison industry in Australia. Drawing on research from abolitionist perspectives on the surveillance industrial complex, Maiorino invites the audience to reflect on our rights as individuals and as a community to privacy and consent. Furthermore, this series examines the path we are going down when our society is increasingly looking to technology as a solution to social issues and asks the question: is this creating safer communities?

Through a series of black and white film images developed in the cell blocks of the Old Alice Springs Gaol (through the Women’s Museum of Australia Residency, 2024), Maiorino turns the camera on itself documenting surveillance methods in Australia. Observations on Surveillance aims to open up space to reflect on the ethics and effects on the Australian community that the use of surveillance has, as well as space to reflect on the urgency to imagine alternatives.

Observations on Surveillance was exhibited as apart of ‘IncarcerNation’ at the Northern Centre for Contemporary Art in 2026 as well as at the Women's Museum of Australia from 5  - 20 April 2024 as a part of CELLBLOCK - three solo exhibitions by Mathew Dargan, Georgie Mattingley and Sara Maiorino responding to the Old Alice Springs Gaol. 

Listen to our interview on 8CCC radio here and our interview with the ABC here: part 1,part 2 and part 3.