Dolls Chronicles #1
The chances of finding a sex doll on the street are small, though not zero. It’s an occurrence that might not be that abnormal in the near future and that future is nearer than you think.
AMARI and KJ Singh work together under USC, aka Unlimited Strip Club, a creative studio focussing on the exploration of sensuality and performance. Their residency at iMal aims to explore the performative realm of the internet, a sphere where sensuality and intimacy have been interwoven into it since the very beginning. Focussing on steaming culture, they explore the influence of the digital world onto our sensuality and vice versa. With the borders between digital and irl slyly bleeding into each other, blending our experiences into one big mish mash of information goop. Do we really understand what is happening in our merging worlds? Reading, hearing and watching something unfold is one thing. Is experiencing it something else entirely?
During their residency, that very question appeared to have manifested an immediate response. Something about a butterfly flapping its wings and a hurricane. Turns out, someone did “find” (allegedly) a sex doll on the street. On the undisclosed grounds of an undisclosed building. So not exactly on the street, but close enough. The “owner” described it as “accidentally” coming into his possession. Whatever that means. And wanted to get rid of it as we happened to be at iMal, researching the sexual nature of the digital world. So we did what any sane person would do… and picked it up.
Our residency follows the journey of researching a topic and having to apply this knowledge with an unexpected immediacy on something very tangible. The research takes on the physical shape of a slightly disturbing, slightly intriguing, 140cm tall, mostly silicone doll.
Reading, hearing and watching something unfold is indeed one thing. Experiencing it is definitely something else entirely and leaves us with more questions than answers and a lot of mixed feelings.
Credits : written by KJ Singh, photography by KJ Singh, with creative lead AMARI
