Ghòstati! The Adversarial Makeup Workshop at the Festival
How we learned to bypass facial recognition systems in Milan and Rome
During the festival of May 8, 9, and 10, 2026, we launched our first active experiments in visual self-defense.
This blog post highlights the adversarial makeup workshops conducted with artist Michelle Tylicki during the NINA festival. The Italian post details the physical experiments in Milan and Rome where participants applied strategic, asymmetrical cosmetics to bypass local facial recognition systems and tested their effectiveness in real-time.
While we intend to establish a Europe-wide network of biometric evasion training, our active live-testing experiments are currently operating on the ground in Milan and Rome.
Italian Equivalent Resources & Links
You can access the active application, visual models, and campaign links below:
- Ghòstati! Web App: Interactive browser tool to test adversarial makeup via webcam.
- Ghostati GitHub Repository: Open-source repository containing the local recognition model code.
- Reclaim Your Face Campaign: The European biometric surveillance ban campaign.
- Michelle Tylicki’s Website: The expert makeup artist who co-led the physical workshops.
Workshop Photos
Saturday, May 9 — Milan (Rob de Matt)
Sunday, May 10 — Rome (Millepiani)
