AI exposes the violence of offshore detention in campaign from Maurice Blackburn via H+C
Maurice Blackburn has found a workaround to the restricted access the media has to Australia’s offshore detention camps in Nauru and Papua New Guinea, partnering with Howatson + Company to paint a picture of the inhumane conditions faced by detainees using AI-assisted reconstructions.
The campaign, titled ‘EXHIBIT A-i: The Refugee Account’ demonstrates the use of AI for social justice, documenting the experiences of offshore detention survivors to create 32 statements and 130 images that are available to the public online.
It is the second major piece of work Howatson + Company has created for the legal practice since winning the creative account in June 2021. In May 2022, the agency launched its first brand campaign for Maurice Blackburn, which included a new brand identity created by Re.
300 hours of interviews were conducted to distill highly detailed descriptions of daily life in offshore detention, with survivors working alongside AI technicians to create “evidence” of their experience.
The images and statements created have also been compiled into a book and were launched in a private display at the Immigration Museum in Melbourne, curated by James Dive from Scoundrel.
In addition, the campaign will extend to OOH executions and social, while the images are also available on Shutterstock.
“These witness statements and images shine a light on a dark chapter of Australian history. They bear witness to the unimaginable inhumanity experienced by the women, men and children incarcerated over many years,” said Maurice Blackburn principal lawyer Jennifer Kanis, who leads the firm’s social justice practice.
“Along with our clients, it’s our hope that this collection of witness statements and the associated AI images serve as a permanent record and an urgent case for change to Australians and our government.”
Walkley-winning photojournalist, Mridula Amin, who was consulted throughout the project, described the project as “supplementary to journalism”, having “opened an exciting door into new ways of visual storytelling, especially when real photography isn’t possible”.
“When watching the images being created, it was incredible to see the level of detail and care taken, and the multiple prompts required to produce an as accurate depiction of the witness statements as possible, including working with the witnesses themselves,” she added.
Saman, whose real name has been withheld, spent more than four years in immigration detention, including nine months offshore on Manus Island. His witness statement testifies to the appalling living conditions on Manus, such as squalid toilet and shower facilities, as well as multiple incidents of physical and verbal abuse.
“By taking part in this project, I am hoping that I can shed some light on the lives of myself and so many other men, women and children inside those detention centres.
“I hope our stories will open people’s eyes to the painful legacy of offshore detention, and I urge the government to show greater humanity when dealing with people seeking asylum.”
Gavin Chimes, executive creative director at Howatson+Company, said: “It was a humbling and harrowing experience to work one-on-one with survivors of offshore detention. Nearly a year in the making, we took the utmost care to ensure their experiences were accurately depicted, with some images taking weeks to complete.”
“On behalf of Howatson+Company, we thank Maurice Blackburn and more importantly their clients, whose stories can now be told for the first time, and in a new way. We hope Exhibit A-i contributes to genuine hope for change on what has been a dark and horrific time in Australian history.”
Credits
Agency: Howatson+Company
CEO+Founder: Chris Howatson
Managing Director: Renee Hyde
Executive Creative Director: Gavin Chimes
Head of Production: Holly Alexander
Copywriter: Zoe Finkelstein
Art Director: Raff Gandrabur
Creative: Madeleine Semit
Creative: Brandon Nee
Design Lead: Reece Lawson
Design Lead: Ellena Mills
Senior Experience Designer: Chloe Schumacher
Chief Strategy Officer: Dom Hickey
Strategy Director: Sam Butcher
Client Partner: Ollie Wearne
Business Director: Madde King
Business Manager: India Clarke
Head of PR: Ben Handberg
Senior Business Director (PR): Melinda Durston
Business Manager (PR): Millie Clout
Business Executive (PR): Bella Hayes
Senior Editor: King Yong
Studio Lead: Simon Merrifield
Printing: Carbon 8
Director: Peter Musarra
Account Manager: Daniel Hall
Activation & Exhibition: Scoundrel Projects
EP: Adrian Shapiro
Director: James Dive
Producer: Matt Roberts, Giordi Caputo
Music & Sound: Heckler Sound
Composer: Johnny Green
Sound Designer: Dave Robertson
Executive Producer: Bonnie Law
Content & Photography: Remy Brand
Website Build: Deloitte Digital
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topics
Gavin Chimes
Howatson + Company
Immigration Museum
James Dive
Jennifer Kanis
Maurice Blackburn
Mridula Amin
Scoundrel
shutterstock
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