Starting November 28, Brutus Art Space will present Orgasmagoria (2026), an ongoing film by artist Dries Verhoeven about sexual gratification in the digital age. The work will premiere in November at the International Documentary Film Festival Amsterdam (IDFA). In Orgasmagoria, Verhoeven explores how desire relates to technology, money, and power, and what power structures lie hidden behind the apparent freedom of the online world.
For Orgasmagoria, Verhoeven collaborated with an international group of (cyber)sex workers, porn actors, and their friends. In front of the camera, they close their eyes and envision a future in which intimacy and technology become increasingly intertwined. Their fantasies unfold in an endless series of personal stories, fables, and dystopias.
The internet provides a space for sexual fantasies and forms of power that are less easily expressed in everyday life. On platforms like Chaturbate, for example, users can remotely control webcam models’ sex toys. Economic and geopolitical relationships also lie behind these digital interactions. Countries such as Colombia, the Philippines, and Romania are home to large studio complexes, while a significant portion of the revenue flows to Silicon Valley. The colonial power dynamics evident here turn out to be more complex than they appear at first glance: the performers are not only part of this system but also consciously manipulate their clients’ desires to their advantage.
In an online culture dominated by explicit imagery, Verhoeven opts for the power of the imagination. Because the participants close their eyes, the focus shifts to what is taking place in their minds. In this way, Orgasmagoria raises questions about digital intimacy, control, and the interplay between desire and power.
A film without a beginning or an end
Orgasmagoria has no fixed starting or ending point. Just like in an old-fashioned porn theater, visitors can come and go at any time. To allow enough time to immerse yourself in the work, it is recommended that you set aside at least one hour for your visit.
Orgasmagoria by Dries Verhoeven
Nov 28, 2026 – Mar 6, 2027
Brutus Art Space
Rotterdam, The Netherlands
