Authentic faces in an age of digital perfection

We are used to seeing faces that have been edited, smoothed and filtered. On social media, it can sometimes feel as though a photograph is not quite finished until something has been changed. But what happens when we put the filters aside and simply look at one another?

This is one of the questions at the heart of Gli Occhi non Mentono (The Eyes Don't Lie), a project by photographer Nico Nardomarino, developed in collaboration with Youmanity ODV and students from the I.C. “G. Falcone e P. Borsellino – F. Carelli” in Conversano.

The project brings together 25 students, each photographed without filters or digital retouching. There is no attempt to create an ideal image or to make anyone look different. Instead, the portraits invite us to pause and look at the young people in front of us, just as they are.

A different way of looking

One photograph in particular introduces the central idea behind the exhibition. The face is transformed by vivid, artificial colours reminiscent of the filters we often see on Instagram and TikTok. But within this altered image, a window has been left around the eyes, preserving their natural appearance.

As Nico Nardomarino explains:

“There is no filter capable of altering the truth of a look. In every portrait, the eyes become the symbol of what remains authentic in an era where almost everything can be modified.”

The contrast is simple, but powerful. Much of what we see online can be changed: skin, features, colours and proportions. Yet the eyes remain a reminder that there is a real person behind every image.

In the wider exhibition, Nardomarino takes a different approach. The 22 natural portraits are presented without digital alterations, allowing each young person to be seen without the expectations and standards that so often shape images on social media.

There is something quietly important about this choice. These are not portraits of perfection. They are portraits of young people, each with their own expression and individuality.

More than a photography exhibition

For adolescents, a period of life already filled with change and uncertainty, the way they see themselves can be deeply influenced by the images around them. Comparing their appearance with carefully constructed online images can affect their confidence and their relationship with their own bodies.

The intention of Gli Occhi non Mentono is not to condemn social media or to tell young people how they should look. It is to open up a conversation: about appearance, self-image, acceptance and the importance of recognising the person beyond the photograph.

Photography becomes a starting point for that conversation, bringing together young people, families, educators and professionals from the psychological and medical fields.

Ultimately, the project asks us to look beyond the image we are presented with, and to remember that every face belongs to someone with their own story, feelings and vulnerabilities.

Perhaps that is the most important thing these portraits have to offer: a reminder that we do not need to change what makes us ourselves in order to be seen.

Exhibition and event information

Scientific seminar
Sunday, 29 November 2026, at 17:30
Pinacoteca “Paolo Finoglio”, Castle of Conversano

Exhibition opening
Sunday, 29 November 2026, at 19:00
Galleria Cattedrale, Piazza Castello, Conversano

Exhibition dates: 29 November – 20 December 2026
Admission: Free