If you’re feeling violated by the proliferation of face recognition systems and software that are becoming smarter as each day passes, you’re not alone. Designer Ewa Nowak had been contemplating facial recognition for some time, amazed at how pinpointing one’s age, mood and sex were easily done via public space cameras and through social media. “This has a huge value in the form of increased security and detection of dangerous units,” Nowak acknowledges. “On the other hand, in which direction will the surveillance of society develop?”
From this train of thought, Incognito was born. As an accessory – a brass mask composed of geometric shapes – it’s a beauty: a contemporary piece of jewelry which summons the allure and exoticism of ancient tribal masks. Yet it also subtly covers the key elements of the face, preventing facial recognition algorithms from properly ‘reading’ one’s features. Tested using Facebook’s DeepFace algorithm, Nowak’s conceptual design hit its target both aesthetically and functionally. And while Incognito remains a prototype at the moment, let’s hope it does get developed, at least for the sake of those who still find joy in simply disappearing into a crowd.
Nowak graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. She is half of the duo that makes up the design studio Noma, along with fellow designer Jaroslaw Markowicz. More of her work on Noma’s website and Instagram.
Images © Ewa Nowak / with permission