“Future Kiss” is a happening that involves interaction among par ticipants wearing masks equipped with a vibration chip and a kiss detector.The participants try to find their “other half” by kissing. The project represents a possible solution to human contact during an epidemic attack in the near future. It also warns against a loss of personal intimacy due to the spread of technology in our material world. The mask here serves as a mediator in the sensual, but also emotional exchange: on “detecting” a kiss, the sensor activates a gentle vibration that is also an emotion in abstracted form or a simulation of emotion. The mask is capable of vibration only if participants find true love. Otherwise it doesn’t work and they can’t feel anything.


“Launching a new science-fiction periodical in Italy in 1952, the publishers invented a new Italian word “fantascienza” (science fiction), composed of “fantasia” (or fantasy) and “science”. This new term conveyed the idea of narration (or, at times, a representation) of fantastic events apparently or partly based on scientific elements.
“The structure of the masks that Lenka Klimešová displays for the visitors derives from “fantascienza”. For their capacity to vibrate (symbolizing the genuine reciprocity of sentiments in the act of kissing) there is a chip, a scientific product. It is obvious, however, that the artist is focusing more on the fantasy element when she speculates on the mask’s use and observes the reactions in the users’ behavior.
“Of course the playful component is a part of it, but the main accent is on the individual willingness to accept this type of tool for a hypothetical control of our emotions. … We are nowadays accustomed to using mechanical and electronic tools in almost every daily activity, from the minimal pressure on the gas pedal to a finger on a button capable of unleashing maximum energetic force. One might hope that at least in love relationships humans would be able to manage on their own with a certain jealousy of their inner experiences, but Lenka Klimešová, with a playful tone, tells us pessimistically to expect the worst. …
“It is puzzling to observe how, even in the apparently euphoric atmosphere, the participants are quite uneasy. At first it seems easy to kiss with a mask on, but when someone actually does it, even while smiling, they notice the sadness and the difference of the perception that is mediated. …
“Nevertheless, maybe it should all be interpreted in a simpler way. Maybe it only has to do with a simple act of liberation from a taboo that considers the expression of emotion in public to be inconvenient. In this case, the use of the mask would be a way to reconnect with its traditional roots in carnival. Lenka Klimešová’s representation, however, does not limit itself to simply hiding the identity of the user, but it goes beyond to actually overturn the way of judging behavior… .
Lenka Klimešová invites us to play with this technological mask but at the same time to reflect on what it evokes in us.” (Viviana Checchia)

Links: www.myspace.com/lenyss

Lenka Klimešová (CZ), multimedia artist. Her works focus on the topics of body and gender. She received a BA in intermedia art at the University of Ostrava Facuity of Fine Arts and is currently doing an MA in video and multimedia at the AFAD (Academy of Fine Arts and Design), Bratislava, Slovakia. She searches for hidden meanings in a language and explores their potential as word play. She is particularly interested in social customs, rules and stereotypes.