Sex, Desire and Data is a collective, immersive exhibition, offering a unique look at the complex cartography of intimacy, sexuality and eroticism in the age of predictive algorithms and all-too-frequently binary digital technologies. The co-creation of this experience is an unprecedented opportunity to have a conversation about sharing realistic and diverse sexual role models in the digital age.
We live in an era where our sense of self can be so entangled between real and virtual that it feels inseparable. However, in the transition between the physical and the digital, some have discovered a playground of new possibilities, a place to role-play, experiment, and explore identity. In this space, where we curate what we see and who we are, in what sense are we in control of and informed by the shape of our reflection? What systems govern our desires as we migrate into these digital environments? What is lost, reshaped, or created to fit within the code, and what does the technological world understand of our sensual needs?
When it comes to sex education, the Internet has become the main source of information for the younger generation, whether it’s to ask questions online or to refer to the models conveyed by popular pornography. In the media as in schools, sexuality is essentially portrayed in terms of risks and problems, while information that is both accurate, appropriate and attractive is rare, although essential to the adoption of healthy and safe attitudes and behavior. Are we sexually illiterate?
In response to these issues, Club Sexu has for several years been multiplying innovative and interactive strategies to provide access to positive, inclusive and uncomplicated sexuality education based on scientific knowledge and including realistic and diversified sexual models, all via accessible and playful cultural proposals. In this way, Club Sexu contributes to reducing violence and oppression based on gender, sexual orientation and sexual practices, as well as improving the sexual well-being of young adults. We hope that the time spent in this immersive exhibition will break down – or at least weaken – barriers, convictions and preconceived ideas about sexuality.
By combining the creativity and expertise of PHI Studio and a_BAHN Studio in the production of original artistic and technological content, with Club Sexu’s research and intervention team in sexology, education and public health, we aim to make sexological knowledge accessible through a wide-ranging cultural channel. Consequently, the originality and effectiveness of Sex, Desire and Data lies in the integration of scientific and pedagogical skills with creative and communication know-how. This harmonization of these elements will increase the scope and social impact of the work. In this way, the project questions our beliefs and deconstructs norms, opening us up to positive sexualities.
partners
Sex, Desire and Data is co-produced by PHI Studio (Montreal based) and a_BAHN (Luxembourg based) and created in partnership with Club Sexu (Montreal based).
An experience by: Sandra Rodriguez, Maude Huysmans, Samuel Greffe and Annabelle Fiset. With the participation of Laura Mannelli, Lucas Larochelle, Ianna Book and Club Sexu.