BLEEDING INTO THE METAVERSE

Part of the BLOODY BEAUTIFUL programme.

This event took place on July 18 2023 at Paradiso in Amsterdam.

Bleeding into the Metaverse was a gossip session and dance party in support of menstruation rights for all female & queer bodies in collaboration with the iconic Amsterdam night-life venue Paradiso.

In 2022, pioneering artist and femtech entrepreneur SPUTNIKO! (Hiro Ozaki) launched her Menstruation Machine, a wearable in the 3D virtual world Decentraland. This sparked a clash between feminist politics and internet culture. If allowed, it would have been the very first case of menstruation in the Metaverse. However, Decentraland developers rejected SPUTNIKO!’s avatar because menstrual blood failed their safety and age standards for users.

We took this as a call for action for digital inclusivity - to celebrate menstruating bodies in the Metaverse! The discussion around menstruation in the online world matters. The future of representation and body inclusivity is at stake.

During the event at Paradiso, SPUTNIKO! was in conversation with moderator Dymphie Braun about her artistic practice, including her film, digital art and femtech work. Then the dance floor opened, giving participants the chance to connect with a bleeding avatar and dance (and bleed) into the Metaverse with music by dj mayo as a protest against the online and offline cultures that restrict female and queer bodies. The evening was in collaboration with creative technologist Babusi Nyoni (Triple Black).

About BLOODY BEAUTIFUL

BLOODY BEAUTIFUL is a movement of lesser heard stories about menstruation and menopause. Our goal is to creatively propagate new public narratives about the topic in a gender-forward way. 

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