Alika Mindarova
Face Code: Not Found

Is it possible to “objectively” perceive another person, or is any face we see an interpretation constructed by our brain?

Face Code: Not Found is an artistic and exploratory installation at the intersection of neuroscience and the philosophy of perception based on the study of cognitive distortions and facial recognition impairments associated with Charles Bonnet syndrome, PTSD, prosopagnosia, and Capgras syndrome.

The project views the face not as a static object, but rather as a fluid model created by our system of perception. The image shown to the viewer fluctuates between recognizability and identity loss, between reality and illusion. Malfunctions in neural mechanisms are seen as the key to understanding how consciousness works: distortions reveal the underlying nature of how visual information is encoded.

The project focuses on the roles played by our internal filters such as memory, emotion, trauma, and cultural experience that make “objective” perception unattainable. Another person’s identity does not derive from the face itself, but rather results from how it is perceived. This installation invites the viewer to explore their way of seeing and reflect on the boundary between the face as an object and the same as a product of the work of our consciousness.