Thinking Beyond Biometrics
Today, digital biometrics are proliferating. Based on scans of biological traits – from faces, fingerprints and gait to vein patterns, heart rhythm, brain activity, and body odor – biometrics are known to be able to establish the identity of a human subject. When reading humanities research o...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Digital Aesthetics Research Cener
2018-07-01
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| Series: | A Peer-Reviewed Journal About |
| Online Access: | https://aprja.net//article/view/115063 |
| _version_ | 1797666436315873280 |
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| author | Lea Laura Michelsen |
| author_facet | Lea Laura Michelsen |
| author_sort | Lea Laura Michelsen |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description |
Today, digital biometrics are proliferating. Based on scans of biological traits – from faces, fingerprints and gait to vein patterns, heart rhythm, brain activity, and body odor – biometrics are known to be able to establish the identity of a human subject. When reading humanities research on biometrics, though, it becomes evident that we are altering a lot more than just our faces. This article proposes a study of a wave of artistic counter-biometrics in order to enable thinking beyond the biometric box, practicing the ‘art of disappearing’ from the biometric gaze. With an outset in Zach Blas’ Face Cages (2013- 16) and his “Fag Face” mask from Facial Weaponization Suite (2011-14) the article argues that biometrics produces an aesthetics, and that it should be treated as such. This shifts our perspective from the technical media to the narratives we inscribe in these media and the aesthetic output enabled by that. Activating a counter- biometric aesthetics is far from naïve. On the contrary, engaging in the aesthetics of biometrics is a valuable and urgently needed research strategy for dealing with the physiognomic renaissance biometrics brings about.
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| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T19:58:26Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-53f54e8d3cf1408e8a0de8fff5b721f2 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2245-7755 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T19:58:26Z |
| publishDate | 2018-07-01 |
| publisher | Digital Aesthetics Research Cener |
| record_format | Article |
| series | A Peer-Reviewed Journal About |
| spelling | doaj.art-53f54e8d3cf1408e8a0de8fff5b721f22023-10-04T12:47:48ZengDigital Aesthetics Research CenerA Peer-Reviewed Journal About2245-77552018-07-017110.7146/aprja.v7i1.115063Thinking Beyond BiometricsLea Laura Michelsen Today, digital biometrics are proliferating. Based on scans of biological traits – from faces, fingerprints and gait to vein patterns, heart rhythm, brain activity, and body odor – biometrics are known to be able to establish the identity of a human subject. When reading humanities research on biometrics, though, it becomes evident that we are altering a lot more than just our faces. This article proposes a study of a wave of artistic counter-biometrics in order to enable thinking beyond the biometric box, practicing the ‘art of disappearing’ from the biometric gaze. With an outset in Zach Blas’ Face Cages (2013- 16) and his “Fag Face” mask from Facial Weaponization Suite (2011-14) the article argues that biometrics produces an aesthetics, and that it should be treated as such. This shifts our perspective from the technical media to the narratives we inscribe in these media and the aesthetic output enabled by that. Activating a counter- biometric aesthetics is far from naïve. On the contrary, engaging in the aesthetics of biometrics is a valuable and urgently needed research strategy for dealing with the physiognomic renaissance biometrics brings about. https://aprja.net//article/view/115063 |
| spellingShingle | Lea Laura Michelsen Thinking Beyond Biometrics A Peer-Reviewed Journal About |
| title | Thinking Beyond Biometrics |
| title_full | Thinking Beyond Biometrics |
| title_fullStr | Thinking Beyond Biometrics |
| title_full_unstemmed | Thinking Beyond Biometrics |
| title_short | Thinking Beyond Biometrics |
| title_sort | thinking beyond biometrics |
| url | https://aprja.net//article/view/115063 |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT lealauramichelsen thinkingbeyondbiometrics |