Evelyn Bencicova's 'Second Virgin' Explores Gendered AI and Robotic Companions

Slovak photographer and artist Evelyn Bencicova, born in Bratislava in 1992 and active between Berlin and international collaborations, presents 'Second Virgin', the latest project in her research on artificial intelligence. The work continues her earlier series 'Artificial Tears', initiated eight years ago, which examined the boundary between autonomous thought and mechanical imitation through staged gestures and poses. Bencicova realized during a show at Kraftwerk Berlin that she had created a hybrid figure between human and machine, rendered female without questioning why, prompting a more explicit focus on gender representation in AI. 'Second Virgin' shifts attention from domestic assistants with preset female voices to artificial companions and robotic sex work, highlighting how female bodies are programmed to please, respond, and serve. Bencicova's method involves intuition, rigorous study, and translation into images, referencing Turing's reflections on thought and imitation. The project interrogates the objectification of bodies and emotions, questioning the extent to which individuals become tools, projects, or clients in their relationship with technology.