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Art Exhibition--My Life as a CIA Spy: I Was Never a CIA Spy
During and for several years following his three-year stint as an analyst at the Central Intelligence Agency, artist and author Michael Garner experienced what appeared to be a mélange of surveillance in which the CIA or another entity surveilled and penetrated every aspect of his professional and private life. He observed words change before his eyes on his personal computer at home, and items in his apartment were even altered while he was in another room. When he described what appeared to be happening to a senior CIA manager, she said it was “plausible” that the Agency was responsible.
To cope with the odd occurrences, Garner surrounded himself with art, at times even treating his most personal and private moments at home as works of impromptu performance art.
Trying to make sense of what was happening, Garner came to believe he was being subtly recruited by the CIA’s Directorate of Operations to be a case officer—in everyday parlance, a “spy.” He also wondered if the actions were part of a malicious counterintelligence operation to pin him as a traitor.
From these experiences, Garner wrote a book that describes everything—and analyzes what might have really been going on. He also created a body of artwork--and thus, this exhibition.
Navigating the creation of this body of work was challenging as the artist wishes to explore issues of surveillance, trauma, and mental health resulting from invasive and abusive actions by an unknown actor while simultaneously being mindful not to expose the sources and methods that the Agency uses protect the American people. The artist is required by law to obtain approval by the CIA’s Prepublication Classification Review Board for the content of the exhibit. Such redactions are explicitly represented by blacked out text.
The exhibit will also feature a selection of works that are unrelated to the CIA--some are anti-authoritarian and others are more lighthearted.
A piece of performance art will take place at 5:00-6:00 pm.
An excerpt of the memoir will be read at 6:00, followed by an artist's talk.
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All statements of fact, opinion, or analysis expressed are those of the author and do not reflect the official positions or views of the U.S. Government. Nothing in the contents should be construed as asserting or implying U.S. Government authentication of information or endorsement of the author’s views.
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