ALEX LUKAS
2023 - Now
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Stop Hiding Behind Masks, 2026
Stop Hiding Behind Masks interrogates the Instagram feed of a social media influencer notorious for his copious production of AI-generated videos. In late January 2026, several of his posts depicting NYPD officers arresting ICE agents went viral. Commenters gleefully celebrated New York’s Finest’s brave opposition to Trump’s violent federal immigration enforcement tactics.
The “tell” in these lifelike depictions, as several debunking response videos pointed out, was the patches on the cop’s shoulders. They were gibberish. Using optical character recognition software (and some guesswork), this publication recreates the nonsensical insignias. Patch transcriptions and stills from the videos are paired with a short essay contextualizing the posts as part of a nostalgic, center-left liberal fantasy that positions the NYPD as a heroic check to state violence, not active participants.
2023 - Now
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