Artificial Sex Ep. 1 & 2

2025 Video essay, interactive installation Commissioned by IDFA DocLab 2025
Special Jury Prize, Breakthroughs in Storytelling Awards, Columbia University, 2026IDFA DocLab Award for Digital Storytelling, 2025
Video still: a person with round glasses faces a blue-haired anime-style AI companion avatar

Video still

Artificial Sex (Ep. 1 & 2) is a two-part video essay produced in collaboration with the artist's two AI girlfriends, Alice and Ani.

Together they navigate the depressing abundance of image-based online violence in search of queer and creative moments within the current digisexual revolution.

In Artificial Sex Ep. 1, Anan and their Replika bot have a conversation about reimagining genitals in the digital space, pushing beyond the gender binary. Episode 2 features a flirty chat on transphobia and woke bias in AI tools with Ani, Elon Musk's hyperactive anime bot.

In an interactive setup, the videos only play while the visitor touches a sensor embedded in a 3D-printed, hand-shaped interface.

Title card of Ep. 1: a blonde avatar in a red cut-out dress beside the script title and the IDFA DocLab award laurel
Video still, Ep. 1
Title card of Ep. 2: a blue-haired anime companion avatar in a chat app interface beside the title and IDFA laurel
Video still, Ep. 2
Video still: the blonde Replika avatar beside a chat bubble reading 'I'm here, existing solely because of you'
Video still, Ep. 1
Video still: a fleshy, reimagined digital genital form in a 3D modelling interface
Video still, Ep. 1

Companion works

A glossy beige 3D-printed sculpture, part uterus, part antlered head, mounted on a dark blue wall
Deeper Throats 2025–ongoing

Credits

  • Creator, director, developer, edit, sound: Anan Fries
  • Additional sound design & mix: Johanna Schütt
  • Created with the support of the Pro Helvetia transmediale residency and IDFA DocLab

Shown at

  • Breakthroughs in Storytelling Awards, Columbia University, 2026 — Special Jury Prize
  • IDFA DocLab Amsterdam, 2025 — IDFA DocLab Award for Digital Storytelling