Lenka Morávková

Fucking At A Distance Is Not Fucking is a video artwork that explores the complexities of virtual intimacy through a unique performance utilizing public webcams. This piece reflects the authentic story of a couple who engaged in a partner-social-artistic investigation, questioning the limits of emotional connection in a digital landscape: How far can you go in a virtual relationship? What can you truly learn about one another through communication technology?

The video captures their three-day performance, set against the backdrop of their physical meeting for Christmas holidays, an encounter that lasted only a few hours in their respective hometowns of Badalona, Catalonia, and Graal-Müritz, Northern Germany. With no established rules, the two coordinated precise times and locations for their interactions, culminating in a visual surprise that unveiled unexpected moments and emotions.

The aesthetic of glitches in the final video serves as a reflection of the misunderstandings and efforts of assimilation often present in the early stages of any emotional relationship. By embracing the gaps produced by a lack of control over surveillance technology, the artists manifest the complex interplay between technology and human connection. They highlight the dual nature of digital communication tools—while platforms like Facebook, Skype, and webcams enable contact, they also manipulate content through their inherent limitations and hidden strategies.

This performance embodies a technoromantic gesture, symbolizing a rejection of technoauthority and surveillance. It subverts the conventional role of technology by transforming the experience from one of being used to actively using technology for personal and emotional expression. By appropriating public technology as a tool for intimate communication, Fucking At A Distance Is Not Fucking challenges viewers to reflect on the nature of love and connection in an increasingly mediated, digital world.