The Speculative Camera is an ongoing research project that investigates how contemporary sensing systems – from cameras and radars to satellites, survey software and automated decision pipelines – shape what can be seen, known and acted upon. Bringing theoretical research into dialogue with visual production, the project unfolds across several interconnected outputs: an initial statement-of-intent published as an academic article, a 25-minute 3D animated film currently in production (working title A Tree in Greenwich), and a forthcoming edited volume that convenes image and media scholars around questions of image-thinking, synchrony and decision-making. Across these strands, the project approaches the camera not as a static device but as an assemblage-like instrument that organises signals, timings and thresholds in domains such as climate modelling, maritime surveillance, border regimes and automated logistics. The Speculative Camera is led by Yanai Toister and Asko Lehmuskallio (Tampere University) and Ariel Caine (University College London), with Martyna Marciniak responsible for 3D modelling and Ronnie Karfiol serving as research assistant.
The Speculative Camera
