P*RN — Noor Boiten

P*RN @Deutsches Theater Berlin

3D-animation video decor
2024

“It could all be so simple: people under the age of 18 don’t know any pornography. After all, it is banned for minors and every internet page containing pornographic content is blocked by a banner that you can only pass if you confirm your legal age. So how is it possible that 15-year-old boys boast about their knowledge of porn at public swimming pools? Because a banner for self-declaration is no insurmountable obstacle – and because pornography is available online to an extent never seen before. But simply demonising the internet and hoping for an analogue revolution back to closely monitored video stores does not seem like a useful way to deal with the situation. P*RN acknowledges that there is educational and emancipatory potential in pornography when we reflect on what it is actually consists of; about the development of sexual desire, how we perceive our own bodies, and how we irrevocably long for tenderness.

Together with six teenage actors, Sofie Boiten and Lorenz Nolting have developed a play about pornography, a language for what isn’t spoken about, and how to deal with all the taboos that begin long before we hit the age checks on internet platforms. DT has developed a protection plan for all participants; the production will not contain depictions of pornographic content.”

Text by Johann Otten

Using photogrammetry techniques I scanned Minecraft-inspired jungle decor pieces designed by Betty Kirmair and brought them to life in a vibrant and complex digital garden, that functions as an extension of the theatrical stage. Different jungle plants slowly form from a seemingly endless black void in a wide array of different animations. They form a vast and dense jungle that grows more chaotic as the piece comes to a close. Finally, all plants and shrubs collapse one by one, creating new space for others to grow and multiply, suggesting an infinite loop of growth and alteration.

Photography by Katja Strempel