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The scenario "Microscopic Intimacy" is located in the squares: Virtual, Human over Nature and Transparency.
The sentence from the FaaS Machine that inspired us to create this scenario is: A Microscopic Intimacy to forget about contemporary capitalism. This sentence from the FaaS Machine gave the scenario its final theme and title.
We are at a point in time where the virtual dominates everyday life and the private sphere. Technical virtual systems are an integral part of living spaces and homes; their focus is the ever-ongoing enhancement of the quality of living and life.
The new possibilities of the virtual combined with a deep rejection of anything natural has led to a society completely alienated from human touch. Superfluous human touch is perceived as abnormal and is an unspoken taboo. Whereas the virtual is associated with safety and familiarity.
There is hardly any reason for people to have physical contact with each other anymore - apart from the necessary nuclear family. Almost all contact takes place virtually. People interact with each other via social networks. Every person is an almost entirely public person. Public spaces exist virtually and can be entered by anyone from home; private life thus always takes place in virtual public space at the same time. Privacy is seen as an archaic concept that stands in the way of innovation and convenience.
Human feelings and needs are to be made increasingly controllable. Humans can be hacked biologically and chemically. What the body biologically needs to feel happy feelings, it gets in the supermarket. Different basic food masses (e.g. from algae), with all important nutrients, can be supplemented with stimulants, which satisfy the basic needs of the human being as far as possible and keep the emotions stable and happy ("virtual" unnatural stimulation).
Virtuality has made this a biologically barren place. Everything important is virtual - the body needs a place to exist, but man has become a spiritual being. Likewise, reproduction takes place in a controlled and artificial way.
People's privacy is microscopic. What intimacy remains when the private, the public and the virtual life almost fully merge? In a life where everything is seemingly "happy" and everyone can experience physical happiness? There remains a void that was first barely noticed and is now moving to the center of pop culture.
The object Microscopic Intimacy is the market's solution to the demand for physical intimacy. Touch is instrumentalized by capitalism. The need for intimacy is externalized because the "natural" body is perceived as impure.
Microscopic Intimacy wants to bring the intimate and natural bodily needs of humans back into their everyday life: to resensitize people, but of course without the still far too absurd real human touch!
People also live out intimacy and emotional touch virtually. Although social conventions dictate that no actual touching may take place, people naturally seek ways to live out their sexuality. They experience intimacy, desire and lust without the aspect of physical touch to another person. Sex contacts therefore take place virtually - people touch themselves and use sex toys.
The symbol for intimacy and closeness first appeared via the movement for a return to physical intimacy. No one knows exactly who developed it, but it was suddenly everywhere. It symbolizes all existing genders and sexualities united together. So we also used the symbol for the Microscopic Intimacy object, which aims to resensitize society to physical touch.