previous project
An image of a person covered in hearts in stars fails to be recognized as a face.
Concept art - testing the app against Facebook's filters.
An illustrated character wears a bejeweled mask and is accompanied by an animal companion.
Concept art - a magical girl inspired mask and fantasy world.
A person's face is covered with stars and hearts in an animated gif.
An filter activated by an AR code, rather than face-tracking technology.

urbestselfie

2018
Description

urbestselfie is a body of work around themes of privacy, bodily autonomy, and digital gentrification that makes use of open-source augmented reality technology. It includes a web-based selfie app, created for Art in Odd Places: BODY, as well as other digital works and performances.

nspired by Adam Harvey’s CV Dazzle research, I set out to design selfie filters that could defeat the current algorithms used by platforms like Facebook and Instagram. I was able to identify several face obscuration patterns that still function against these platforms and design AR overlays that can be used to create selfies that cannot be identified as faces.

Concept & History

Apps that are seen as fun diversions in the United States and European countries share the same technologies used for abuses of power in other nations. By idly supporting these technologies and fueling their improvement, users are complicit in these human rights violations.

Production Details
  • web app made with A-Frame and React
  • exhibited at Art in Odd Places 2018 in NYC
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