On Illegibility (video)

On Illegibility is a lecture performance on the politics of identification within biometric technology such as facial recognition and fingerprint scanners. The lecture scrutinizes the bias built into its algorithms, and ultimately how biometrics shape definitions of what a human being is. This lecture unpacks what it means to be legible in the eyes of the state and society, and looks into strategies of camouflage, masking and ambiguity built into “illegible” bodies and faces.

A facial recognition software shows the age, race and sex data of the performer live. Throughout the performance, the performer wears a mask of their own face, which they gradually manipulate past the point of recognition for both human or machine vision.

Concept, performance, text, masks and sound by Yun Lee
Facial recognition app developed by Stef Kors
Videography by Flora Reznik
Sound recording, design, mixing and mastering by An3
Make-up by Charlotte van Beusekom
Video and trailer supported by iii and Stroom The Hague