THE NETHERLANDS
TECHNOLOGIES TO SLEEP TOGETHER
I’m a dreamer in the morning
by night I’m a shaman
your smell is my passport
estoy volando hacia tu cama.
This has been the cruelest year
but I see you at my nightstand
we’re connected with sacred water
an Atlantic distance is nada.
My poetry is nada
my life is nada
but you and I
we are everything except nada.
The gods of sex are visiting
the hackers are our guardians
I would rather look at you
love is real, is the hardware.
What’s the difference between a curse and a spell?
It is time to sleep, my friend.
We are now closing our eyes
because luck is for the brave.
Description: An unexpected effect of the pandemic that might seem minor in comparison to the severe consequences of COVID, was the reduction of possibilities of sleeping with someone because of lockdown restrictions. In a speculative exercise hosted by the Sex Tech Hackathon organized by Creative Coding Utrecht, a group of participants explored the act of sleeping with someone as a trascendental event. To do this, they incorporated ancient and magical approaches, considered sleep as an act of trust and consent (with animals and nature too), how the tech industry has been dealing with romantic intimacy, and proposed a series of hacks to address this otherworldy experience 💘
Design brief:
KEY FEATURES:
- Consent
- Not creepy
- Private
- Connects with the non-human
- Away from the hands of big tech
CHALLENGES:
- Distance
- Timezones
- Internet accessibility
- Poor communication and delusion
PROTOTYPE:
- A ritual
- Materiality
- Dreams are welcome
- Easy love
External links: workshop website, event at Sex Tech Hackathon
