Emma Stern's 'Hell is Hot' Turns Internet Fetish Into High Art

In a recent development, New York artist Emma Stern presented her latest solo exhibition titled “Hell is Hot” at Almine Rech’s gallery in Paris. This new collection further develops her series of avatars coated in latex, providing a fresh perspective on themes such as embodiment, desire, and perversion. The feminist viewpoint presented in this work leans towards the unconventional, reminiscent of the feminism portrayed in the film “Crash” (1996). Amidst an array of cute characters with “bunny-eared” and “mermaid-tailed” features, Stern skillfully captures the intriguing intersection of fantasy and reality at its most surreal and disarming.

The artist’s creative journey commences in 3D software, where she meticulously sculpts human forms that are subsequently transformed into rich, flowing layers of paint and misty veils. Her figures, a blend of doll-like innocence and cybernetic complexity, serve as tributes to the hyper-sexualized visuals prevalent online. Simultaneously, they reinterpret these images with a level of detail and reverence that borders on devotion. Each glimmer, each curve, echoes a deep appreciation for the allure of form in fantasy.

In the realm of gaming, as I traverse virtual worlds, I can’t help but notice that Stern’s creations embody the post-human we’ve come to expect – entities teetering on the edge of conflict and allure, spectacle and self-awareness. In this modern theater of desire, identities are not broken, but remolded, through a euphoric blending of digital bodies, replacing the pain of struggle. It’s like our skin merges, smooth as cream on pavement, or like a snowball in hell – the enemies-to-lovers narrative has never felt so intense.

The exhibition is now on view through June 7 in Paris.

Almine Rech Turrenne
64 Rue de Turenne,
75003 Paris, France

Emma Stern’s ‘Hell is Hot’ Turns Internet Fetish Into High Art

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