Dolls as Fetishes and Tech: From Bellmer to Virtual Influencers

Christian Nirvana Damato traces the evolution of dolls from colonial fetishes to AI-powered companions and virtual influencers. The term 'fetish' originated in 16th-century Portuguese colonial discourse to disparage African animist cults, later adopted by Freud for psychoanalysis. In the 20th century, artists like Hans Bellmer (Anatomia dell'immagine, 1957) deconstructed desire through disarticulated dolls, while the 1959 Barbie embodied commodity fetishism. Contemporary examples include Real Dolls (customizable sex robots with AI, priced $5,000–$30,000) and Virt-a-Mate (3D avatar software for VR). Virtual influencers like Lil Miquela, managed by companies backed by Amazon, promote luxury brands on social media. Artists such as Sarah Lucas, Martin Gutierrez, Jamie Diamond, Mai-Thu Perret, and Laurie Simmons use dolls to critique gender stereotypes. Damato warns of the ethical perils of hyperrealistic dolls and the potential for manipulation through virtual influencers, as noted by Christopher Travers of VirtualHumans.org.