2 Panopticon

Panopticon JVA, 2015


Justizvollzugsanstalt (JVA) Mannheim, Germany

360° recording from the watchtower of the correctional facility
1360 single images, recorded with computer-controlled SLR camera,
July 14, 21:42 to July 15, 5:48, 2015



Panopticon JVA shows a correctional facility in Mannheim, whose layout conforms to Jeremy Bentham’s panopticon. Due to the intervention of a politician, who feared the inmates might object to the camera, Spinatsch was only allowed to record at night. The panorama was recorded from the watchtower, the geometrical as well as strategic center of the facility. For one night, the technical equipment of the artist replaced the guard and occupied the control room.

In the permanently burning artificial light, there are almost no traces of humans, apart from what the cleaners have left behind. Time seems annulled. Or only just almost as on the very right a blue shimmer of daylight enters through the windows.

There are two versions of Panopticon JVA. Version 1 is a site-specific panorama installation. Version 2 is a framed inkjet print with production details and the daily schedule of the correctional facility printed on the white border. Panopticon JVA work was later incorporated in a new work, Inside the Digital Panopticon.



Kurzer tabellarischer Ablauf eines normalen Vollzugtages

06:00 Uhr Aufschluss aller Zellen.
06:20 Uhr Abrücken der zur Arbeit eingeteilten Gefangenen
06:20 Uhr Verbringung von Gefangenen in die z.B. Krankenabteilung/Psychologe/Schule/ je nach Termin und Einteilung der Gefangenen
10:10 Uhr Hofgang , 1 Stunde, aller Gefangenen der Strafhaft, die nicht zur Arbeit eingeteilt sind, die Arbeit verweigern, bzw. Krank geschrieben sind.
11:20 Uhr Einrücken aller arbeitenden Gefangenen
11:30 Uhr Mittagessen der Gefangenen auf den Hafträumen
12:05 Uhr Abrücken der zur Arbeit eingeteilten Gefangenen
13:00 Uhr Hofgang, 1 Stunde, für Untersuchungsgefangene
14:30 Uhr Einrücken der arbeitenden Gefangenen
14:45 Uhr Hofgang für arbeitende Gefangene . Strafhaft sowie Untersuchungshaft.1 Stunde
15:45 Uhr Hofgangende und offene Zellen bis 16:10 Uhr
16:10 Uhr Einschluss aller Gefangenen bis 16:50 Uhr
16:50 Uhr Freizeit für alle Strafgefangene bis 21:30 Uhr
21:30 Uhr Nachteinschluss aller Gefangenen

Brief timetable of the sequence of events on a normal day of imprisonment

06:00 All cells are unlocked
06:20 Departure of the prisoners on work detail
06:20 Transfer of prisoners to the infirmary, psychologist or school etc., depending on the prisoners‘ appointments and classifications
10:10 Yard exercise for all prison inmates who are not on work detail, who refuse to work, or who are certified unfit for work
11:20 Return of all working prisoners
11:30 Prisoners‘ lunch in the holding cells
12:05 Departure of the prisoners on work detail
13:00 One hour’s yard exercise for remand prisoners
14:30 Return of working prisoners
14:45 Yard exercise for working prisoners
15:45 End of yard exercise, open cells
16:10 All prisoners are locked up
16:50 Leisure time for all convicts
21:30 All prisoners are locked up for the night