“Weaponized emerging technologies” is how artist/designer Mac Pierce, who’s currently pursuing an MFA in Art & Technology Studies at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago, describes his raw materials.
“Using technology as a medium to create artworks, his practice communicates concepts about computer hacking, surveillance, and firearms using the grammar inherent to these systems.”
As with Rachele Didero’s Cap_able knitwear, which can fool facial recognition systems with ugly patterns, Pierce created a wearable that could stymie night vision cameras. His Camera Shy Hoodie—”a DIY adversarial garment”—employs high-powered infrared LEDs, ideally positioned around the upper portions of the garment, in a strobing pattern. The infrared lights not only blind night vision cameras, but provide no indication to passersby that your hoodie is acting up, as the lights are imperceptible to the human eye.
Pierce has posted instructions on how to make your own Camera Shy Hoodie here.
