This Open-Source Art Creates Empathy for Kidnapping Victims
Charlotte Joyce Kidd — August 14, 2015 — Tech
References: lozano-hemmer & newscientist
This stunning open-source art project harnesses the power of facial recognition technology to create empathy for the victims of historical mass kidnappings around the world.
The initial installation was created to commemorate the cartel-related kidnapping in Iguala, Mexico in 2014. Visitors to the 'Level of Confidence' exhibit stand in front of a facial recognition screen that matches their features to ID photos of one of the 43 missing victims. It reverses the normal use of facial recognition technology, which is generally used to identify perpetrators, rather than victims. The artwork has two purposes: it creates empathy for the victims by forcing viewers to see themselves in the pictures of missing people, and it symbolically searches for those who were lost among the faces it scans.
The true power of the project -- both technologically and artistically -- is that its creators turned it into open-source art. The program used for the Iguala installation was made available as open-source code online, meaning that anyone could use or alter it. So far, the open-source art has been used to memorialize the thousands of citizens who disappeared under the Argentinian dictatorship, as well as the more than a thousand Native women who have gone missing in Canada over the past five years.
The initial installation was created to commemorate the cartel-related kidnapping in Iguala, Mexico in 2014. Visitors to the 'Level of Confidence' exhibit stand in front of a facial recognition screen that matches their features to ID photos of one of the 43 missing victims. It reverses the normal use of facial recognition technology, which is generally used to identify perpetrators, rather than victims. The artwork has two purposes: it creates empathy for the victims by forcing viewers to see themselves in the pictures of missing people, and it symbolically searches for those who were lost among the faces it scans.
The true power of the project -- both technologically and artistically -- is that its creators turned it into open-source art. The program used for the Iguala installation was made available as open-source code online, meaning that anyone could use or alter it. So far, the open-source art has been used to memorialize the thousands of citizens who disappeared under the Argentinian dictatorship, as well as the more than a thousand Native women who have gone missing in Canada over the past five years.
Trend Themes
1. Open-source Art - Creating open-source art projects that utilize facial recognition technology can foster empathy and raise awareness for various social issues.
2. Reverse Use of Facial Recognition - Leveraging facial recognition technology to identify victims instead of perpetrators can revolutionize how the technology is utilized and create meaningful experiences for viewers.
3. Memorializing Historical Events - Using facial recognition art installations to commemorate and honor the victims of historical mass kidnappings or other tragedies can help preserve their memory and drive social change.
Industry Implications
1. Artificial Intelligence - The intersection of facial recognition technology and art presents opportunities for innovation in the field of artificial intelligence, enabling artists and developers to create impactful installations.
2. Entertainment and Media - Facial recognition art installations have the potential to captivate audiences and create compelling experiences within the entertainment and media industry, offering new forms of storytelling.
3. Social Activism - By using facial recognition technology in art installations, social activists can leverage the power of visuals and empathy to raise awareness about various social issues and drive change.
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