n00oodies n00oodies n00oodies n00oodies
“Are nudes the love language of COVID-19?” n00oodies is an interactive collaboration between artists and participants, exploring nude culture and the synthetic unreality of sex online through the alienation of the human form.
The process begins with receiving nude imagery sent to
‘the n00oodies creators’ via dating sites and direct messaging. The images then
undergo a transition from still pictures into distorted moving images, by means
of digital manipulation and deformation. This creates a short video of the nude
photograph disintegrating and liquefying into an abstracted state, concealing
the true meaning and intent that is attached to ‘sending nudes’. The level of
abstraction added to the images and sound challenges the instant gratification
online sex often presents through pornography and sexual imagery. Instead of
the very direct sexual content, n00oodies displays an almost indecipherable
naked form, encouraging the viewer to immerse themselves into a prolonged
experience of consumption: to try and decode the authentic body.
n00oodies was born during a shared time of intense isolation and a subsequent search for social connection in the new digital age. As this practice of sending 'nudes' has only recently developed in contemporary society, it often feels like entering uncharted territory, as one is not only putting their complete trust into the person they are communicating with, but also somewhat relying on the security and permanence of the digital world. We are making something that feels alien, become alien.