Arse Elektronika 2007: A conference about pr0nnovation?
According to a study by Simon Smith, more than 800 items were registered
with the United States Patent and Trademark Office as sex toys between 1840
and 1997. Among them was a condom with a built-in computer chip that can
play music. Progress?
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.
The porno effect accompanies every new technological development. Immediately
after producing his famous bible, Gutenberg used his press to print erotica.
Photography was utilized just as quickly. In 1874 the London police discovered
130,000 pornographic photos in the course of a single house search. The
introduction of cinematic technology also confirmed the close relationship
between pornography and technological innovation: in 1896 a pornographic
film was shown publicly for the first time, two years after the premiere
of the first films of any interest to the general public. Since then, more
pornographic films than nonpornographic films have been produced. That in
1977 the first video cassettes to appear on the market featured pornographic
content should come as no surprise. The development of the camcorder and
the instamatic camera made it possible for anyone so inclined to produce
porno in privacy at home. The fact that the first affordable Polaroid model
was named "The Swinger" seems to indicate that the industry was
well aware of this possible use.
All of these facts could be relegated to the status of curiosities were
it not for the important role that pornography has played in the development
of new technologies. New technologies are quick to appeal to pornography
consumers, and thus these customers represent a profitable market segment
for the suppliers of new products and services. Without telephone sex, a
sector that has been yielding enormous profits since the 1980s, providers
would have had no incentive to upgrade the communicational infrastructure.
And of course one should not forget the internet, which is notorious for
being flooded with pornography. Porno sites were the first to use technologies
like audio and video streaming. They were also a driving force behind the
spread of high-speed internet connections and made necessary the development
of better data systems. Additionally, porno sites have promoted the development
of new cultural technologies like (in)formal partnering, outsourcing, upselling
and site tracking. Today a new technology's success with porno consumers
is a dependable indicator of the product's overall market potential. Currently,
all factors show that high-tech developments like virtual reality owe a
great deal of their success to the need for further sexual stimulation.
One could cite the example provided by the science-fiction concept of a
full-body interface designed to produce sexual stimulation. But it isn't
science fiction anymore.
Is it going too far to assume that research in nanotechnology and genetic
engineering will be influenced by our sexual needs. The surgical modification
of sexual organs is no longer something very unusual.
The question is not whether these technologies alter humanity, but how they
do so.
Johannes Grenzfurthner/monochrom (Conference organizer)
Arse Elektronika 2008?
We are currently preparing Arse Elektronika 2008.