2091 : The Ministry of Privacy
2019
C-Print, Ricoh GR, facial recognition software.
50x70cm
"China is conducting a massive crackdown against Muslim-minority communities, essentially Uyghurs and Kazakhs, in its vast western Xinjiang region. Some of the most advanced surveillance technologies, such as facial recognition, are being massively deployed in the region so as to monitor every aspect of the inhabitant’s life. The series 2091 : The Ministry of Privacy is exploring the mechanism of facial recognition technologies used by China to monitor and oppress minorities in Xinjiang. To do so, I developed a facial recognition software with the help of an IT engineer, which I used while photographing the daily life of the inhabitants in Xinjiang. Once shot, I uploaded the pictures in the software, which recognized and drew the respective biometric facial informations directly on the faces of the people appearing on the original photographs, allowing us to see how facial recognition works and is used as a tool of oppression by the government. Through this process, the project reveals the intrusiveness and the dangerousness of this invisible technology, while documenting and paying tribute to the last remains of these communities’ vibrant culture, before its planned disappearance."
