Erwan Sene at Bonny Poon / Conditions, Toronto

Key Takeaways

• Vintage Delsey suitcases house infrasound antennas and 1960s shoes
• Artwork complies with ICAO rules yet reveals regulatory blind spots
• Explores legal gray zones where possibility equals threat
• References espionage history to critique modern security economy
• Uses gray aesthetic to blur line between real and simulacrum

Pulse Analysis

Erwan Sene’s installation arrives at a moment when aviation security is under intense scrutiny, yet the legal frameworks governing carry‑on items remain surprisingly narrow. By repurposing ABS polycarbonate suitcases—material certified for flight safety—and embedding infrasound devices that evade detection, the work demonstrates how the International Civil Aviation Organization’s lists of prohibited and restricted objects can be technically satisfied while still producing a latent threat. This paradox forces regulators to confront a reality where compliance does not guarantee safety, prompting a reevaluation of risk assessment criteria that traditionally focus on overt weaponry.

Beyond the regulatory critique, the exhibition taps into a broader cultural narrative about the invisibility of modern surveillance. Infrasound, operating below human hearing, subtly influences physiological states, echoing how data collection and algorithmic profiling operate beneath public awareness. By pairing these hidden frequencies with bourgeois shoes from the 1960s—a symbol of everyday respectability—Sene underscores how ordinary objects can be co‑opted into systems of control. The gray visual language of the pieces mirrors the tarmac and transit zones that mediate global movement, reinforcing the notion that infrastructure itself becomes a silent enforcer of security protocols.

Historically, the suitcase has served as a vessel for both personal narratives and clandestine operations, from Henry Box Brown’s escape to contemporary espionage tools. Sene’s work revives this lineage, positioning the suitcase as a literal and metaphorical archive of potential violence that remains legally ambiguous. By exposing the legal architecture that permits such assemblages, the exhibition challenges the security industry’s reliance on intent as a prosecutable element. In doing so, it invites policymakers, artists, and the public to consider how the very mechanisms designed to protect can, when left unchecked, become the most potent instruments of control.