Maxime Matthys

I can see you watching me is a performance and a self-portrait exercise achieved by distorting a mass surveillance tool in China. In several Chinese cities, the faces of the citizen jaywalking (crossing the streets when the signal is red) are recorded by facial recognition cameras and exhibited on giant screens in the streets. Their faces are analyzed by facial recognitions softwares linking their faces to their identity, allowing the system to display their name, ID card number, etc. Prior to my departure, I made a collaboration with William Attache, a french IT engineer. We developed a facial recognition software similar to the ones used by the Chinese government, which exported my facial biometric informations into an unique biometric mask. Once in China, I met Gypsy (大风吹), a Shanghai-based artist who I asked to paint directly my biometric facial informations on my face. Then, I walked into the streets of Shanghai, and crossed the streets when the light was red while staring at facial recognition cameras located on the crossroads. The systems recognized my made-up face and displayed it on the large screens, which allowed me to show the invisible side of the facial recognition technology, while challenging the government without taking my eyes of this tool of digital repression.