Door: Ricardo Dominguez, Ian Alan Paul, Jane Stevens
“In December of 2012, the artists Ricardo Dominguez, Ian Alan Paul and Jane Stevens performed as researchers and consultants for the fictional UC Center for Drone Policy and Ethics and simulated a “Drone Crash Incident” on the UC San Diego campus. The drone crash, as a form of critical fiction or disturbance theater, was enacted over the course of one week through the distribution of press releases, documents, photographs, and other forms of ‘evidence’ which were subsequently published in various media in and around San Diego. The simulation culminated in a public town hall to discuss the simulated drone crash with students, faculty and various members of the public. The stated mission of the UC Center for Drone Policy and Ethics was articulated in press materials as:
“The UC Center for Drone Policy and Ethics (UCDPE) is a new research institution founded by the UC Office of the President (UCOP) to explore the emerging implications of drone research, use and production within the UC system. Bringing together a group of interdisciplinary scholars and researchers from across the UC campuses, the center is involved in several collaborative research projects involving students, faculty and policymakers at the cutting edge of Unmanned Aerial Systems studies.”
Before the town hall, University of California officials disavowed the occurrence of any drone crash and denied the existence of the UC Center for Drone Policy and Ethics. At the town hall event, Ricardo Dominguez and Ian Alan Paul presented records of the crash and discussed various theoretical and political concepts related to drones, as well as discussed the research and production of military drones in San Diego and on UCSD’s campus. Jane Stevens then gave a presentation on the history of drone crashes, which was followed by a wider discussion among those who attended.”
