Women as technology

Why do virtual assistants like Siri, Alexa and Cortana often have a woman’s name and voice? Why was the processing power of computers in the 1940s expressed in girl hours? And should we be concerned about the development of sex robots and AI girlfriends? The exhibition Women as Technology explores the intersection of femininity and technology using pole-dancing robots, quasi-erotic anatomical models and kitchens specially designed for women. Meet ELIZA, the first therapeutic chatbot from the 1960s, or Nancy, the embroidering female robot from 1910 who blinks her eyes gracefully and crosses her ankles chastely.

The exhibition uses more than 200 objects to show that technology is rarely neutral and always reflects prevailing social ideas, especially when it comes to women. Women as Technology is an exhibition for tech fanatics, feminists, design enthusiasts and anyone who has ever wondered why we pretend that technology is really a man’s thing.