For the past seven years, the Italian artist Salvatore Vitale has investigated surveillance in all its varied forms.

From 2014 to 2019, he worked on the acclaimed project and photographic book How to Secure a Country, focusing on the tensions between security and control that exist in Switzerland, where he now lives. His most recent project, Persuasive System, is an interactive installation focused on the use of CCTV in public spaces. We caught up with him for a chat about his work.

This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

Ceremony of the Protocol Section, part of the Defense Ministry.

Coda Story: First of all, let’s talk about your most successful project, “How to Secure a Country.” Why did you decide to work on surveillance systems, and why in Switzerland?