Eric Fong

Every Contact

In the early 20th century, French criminologist Edmond Locard observed that “every contact leaves a trace”. This is especially pertinent in the field of fingerprint analysis.

Since Locard’s observation, fingerprint analysis technology has advanced vastly, and is now utilised not only for law enforcement, but increasingly as a method of biometric identification for border and other forms of access control.

This body of work comprises images of fingerprints obtained from public archives transferred onto appropriately sourced glass objects by etching. It seeks to reimagine the objects from historical archives and reanimate the objective fingerprint records with personal narratives. Through the act of appropriating private biometric data available in the public realm, the works seek to highlight issues about privacy, security, access to and the use and potential abuse, of fingerprint records held by authorities.