Social Condom

Social Condom is a latex-sculpted, impermeable skin that embodies the principles of a social experiment I initiated in 2005 with the founding of an anonymous artist collective.

The collective aimed to challenge the traditional notion of authorship, with participating artists collaborating to co-author artworks, supporting each other's visions for ideation, production, and promotion, and signing our collective work with both our names and our ID numbers, thereby emphasizing our collective role as culturally engaged citizens.

Created in collaboration with Olivier Goulet, the Social Condom features the imprint of his face as well as those of Aurore Tomé, Marc Gassier, Thomasine Giesecke, Nicolas Babinet, Pascale Chauhuu, Benoît Prévot, and Myron Martin. These artists were the first to join me in a series of mutually beneficial anonymous collaborative projects that reflect on the identity of our time.  

Social Condom was designed as a shield against the insidious infection of the ego, which threatens collective creativity. It symbolizes unity, shared identity, and mutual support.

However, as our collaborative efforts gained visibility and attracted 15 additional artists, the Social Condom raptured, and the virus of ego infected one member who claimed sole ownership of a few pieces of the collective’s intellectual property, leading to the failure of this utopian vision. Despite this rupture, the experience provided me with a critical lesson about the fragility of collective identity in the face of personal ego.

This experiment deepened my understanding of the dynamics of creative collaboration and has since shaped my methodology for leading successful creative partnerships.

Social Condom was featured at Sk-interfaces exhibition at FACT (Foundation of Art and Creative Technology) during Liverpool’s year as the European Capital of Culture.