Secret Power artist Simon Denny draws upon the historic weight of Venice to offer an unprecedented perspective on the visual culture of the Five Eyes intelligence alliance (between the United States, the United Kingdom, C anada, Australia and New Zealand), as revealed in documents leaked by NSA contractor Edward Snowden in 2013.

“Simon Denny’s project has an urgent relevancy to our contemporary world,” says Commissioner Heather Galbraith. “He zeros in on complex aspects o f our visual culture where the dynamics of influence and ownership are ripe for exploration. The exhibition sites allow Secret Power to draw together imagery from the 16th and 21st centuries in relationships that question its role within state - commissioned projects, and how it relates to expressions of nationhood or authority.”