Slixa reports about Arse Elektronika 2013.
When Tizzy mentioned an event called “Arse Elektronika” (Sex, Tech Conference Arse Elektronika Kicks Off in S.F.) a
few weeks ago, I knew I had to attend some of the events taking a place
over four days just across the bridge in San Francisco. I had a feeling
it was going to be a big ole brain-gasm, and I was right!In its 7th year, Arse Elektronika is a lot of things packed into a long weekend all around the city that embodies sexuality and technology. According to Mission Local, “With
more than 20 presentations over four days earlier this month, Arse
Elektronika 2013 attracted some 125 hackers, makers, artists, porn stars
and activists of all backgrounds and gender identities.”“From the depiction of a vulva in a cave painting to the newest
internet porno, technology and sexuality have always been closely
linked. No one can predict what the future will bring, but history
indicates that sex will continue to play an essential role in
technological development…”This is the lead in to a video of the techiest porn you will ever see: a fucking (literally) robot giving it all to a woman behind a curtain. This is the physical embodiment of the weekends events.
I’m reminded of a some of the sex toys I’ve come across (specifically, the Sqweel 2 and the Fun Factory Stronic),
but this is obviously something much more than the sum of its parts.
This is another level. The robot holds all the toys and patiently fucks
her brains out. The intersection between advances of
technology, creativity of the mind, and our animalistic sex drives is
the embodiment of the weekends events, which are made up of many
distinct and nuanced talks, parties, and demonstrations, like the one
shown at the link above.It was a busy weekend for the conference attendees, here’s the schedule for an idea of the smorgasbord of talks and parties.