Didi (digital deity) - Prototype, 2026

As our lives become increasingly integrated with digitality, the relationship between humans and technology has moved far beyond a simple dynamic of use and being used. The boundary between physical and digital is permeable; physical materials can be reconstructed as pixels through photography and scanning, while digital creations can now take physical form through 3D printing and fabrication. These technological shifts deepen our entanglement with digital systems, as data flows continuously in and out of screen-based devices and into everyday life.

This hyperconnectivity exceeds the familiar expectation of perpetual availability and engagement. We understand it as a form of constant coercion: systems that organize time through daily rewards and push notifications; emotion through reward, guilt, and attachment; and behaviour through forms of participation that feel voluntary, but become difficult to refuse. Digital engagement extends this condition into physical space, collapsing the boundary between everyday life and platform-driven ritual, where desire is repeatedly triggered, maintained, and rewarded.

In response to this subtle coercion, Ctrl+ (Adrienne Matheuszik and Lingxiang Wu) proposes Didi (Digital Deity), an AR artwork rooted in a fabricated avatar and a small sculptural “shrine” in the form of a gacha machine. The project begins with a simple question: what if the cyborg is not an extension of ourselves, but a manifestation of digital systems that train our bodies through repetition, reward, and maintenance?
​
We draw on the familiar language of toys—Tamagotchi, blind boxes, and collectible vinyl figures—to make this mythical presence legible. In childhood, dolls are projection devices: through them, we practice care, control, and fantasy. In adult digital life, platforms reverse this relationship. We think we use tools for entertainment, but these tools gradually train us through attachment, playbour, and micro-obligations. Didi is a digital doll that becomes a deity.

​To play the mini game, click here.

Artist Bio
CTRL+ (Adrienne Matheuszik and Lingxiang Wu) creates interactive installations that question the boundaries between physical and digital, critiquing digital spaces and the impact on identity and community. As a collective, We are interested in how online systems and culture shape identity, attention, and community. Today’s interfaces present themselves as smooth, friendly, and personalized, yet rely on persuasive mechanics that normalize constant responsiveness and self-documentation. Matheuszik is an interdisciplinary artist exploring hybridity and speculative design through interactive narratives – extended reality, art games & installation. Wu is a visual artist who utilizes online content to investigate our entanglement with digitality and desire facilitated through digital platforms and activities.   
​
This project is curated by Christina Dovolis and Evangeline Brooks for AR Multi-sites residency supported by InterAccess and SariSari Exchange, exhibited at When Does the Wired Body Come Home? during Vector Festival 2026. 
​