Lady Godiva
Categories engineering, programming, confectionery-making, clay sculpting, molding, interaction design, edible circuitry
Materials Arduino, Processing, Amazing Mold Putty, air drying clay, assorted electronics
Lady Godiva is a venture into the realm of edible circuitry. Upon learning that silver leaf is both edible and conductive, I decided to experiment with it. I created molds of nude women out of chocolate, and sandwiched the silver leaf in between the two halves of each female figure. I adhered wires to the silver leaf in a circuit configuration such that when the chocolates are bitten into, the circuit is broken.
The wires are connected to an Arduino interfaced with Processing. When the chocolates are bitten into and the circuit is broken, a signal is sent to Processing, which plays recordings of orgasmic and pained moans.
The conceptual aspect of the project was inspired by my chocoholism. The sensation of eating chocolate is blissful, almost orgasmic. However, it can also be a painful experience if consumed excessively, resulting in illness. The orgasmic and pained moans represent the duality inherent in the sensations of eating chocolate.
Lady Godiva was presented in my solo exhibit Gonna Put a Hacks on You and received press from Technically Brooklyn and The Brooklyn Paper.