Jamie F
The tenth iteration of Arse Elektronika, an international sextech conference and festival put on by the Monochrom art community and publishing organization, is set to take place on September 7-10, 2023, in Austria.
Rather than being a retail or pure tech showcase event, Arse Elektronica will take more of a philosophical look at the sextech industry. Arse Elektronika 2023: Sexponential is set to take place at the DH5 venue in Linz, with details about any yet to be announced online access to the conference.
Monochrom said that sextech subjects including teledildonics, sex machines, biohacking and creating bodies with enhanced sexual capabilities will be explored at the conference. “These ideas have long been explored in science fiction and literature, and it is time to consider them both intellectually and sensually,” it said.
A previous incarnation of the event had taken place in a dungeon-style venue, in collaboration with the [extremely NSFW] site Kink.com.
The 2023 line-up is yet to be finalized, with Monochrom putting a callout for ideas for performances, games, workshops or other kinds of presentations that could feature at the event. There has also been a callout for literary submissions alongside festival entries for potential use in Arse Elektronika Anthology #5, a publication that will come out as part of the festival. The deadline for submissions is April 30.
Organizers suggested that the event could cover topics around the idea that technology does not always isolate people and damage human connection.
“Technology can be used to challenge and change the oppressive and male-dominated power structures within expressions of sexuality, e.g. mainstream pornography,” the organizers said. “It can also provide new opportunities for self-expression and fulfilment of underrepresented desires.”
You can check the DH5 venue website for information about submissions and for further updates about Arse Elektronika’s events.
Read next: Sexy robots and historical sextech to feature in second Museum of Sex venue
