1
Stand straight on
Face the mask from a few paces back. Notice how convincingly normal it looks, as though carved from solid stone.
The Illusion Trail · Stop 6
Hollow Face
A mask that refuses to look hollow. Walk past it, and its painted eyes will follow you, no matter which way you turn.
Walk past, slowly
The mask in front of you is concave, hollowed out from behind. But your brain has spent a lifetime looking at faces that stick out, and refuses to read this one any other way.
2
Walk slowly across
Step sideways across the front of the mask. The eyes will pivot to follow you and the nose will swing with you. You cannot escape its gaze.
3
Take a photo or video
A short clip captures the moment better than a still. Walk past while filming and the effect is unmistakable.
A little about it
Your brain insists
You have spent your whole life looking at faces. Every one of them, without exception, has poked outward. Cheeks, brow, nose, chin: all convex.
So when your eyes meet a concave mask, your brain quietly overrules them. Faces don't go inward, it decides, and flips the depth on its own.
The trick: a hollow mask, brightly lit from behind, makes the shadow-and-light cues that normally betray depth almost vanish. With no contradicting evidence, your brain wins, and the mask appears to swing toward you as you walk.
Continue the trail
More wonders ahead
Each stop on the trail is a different illusion. Follow the path through the trees, and don't forget to take a photo at every one.