love bytes

Jarra Karalinar Steel

Content warning: love bytes includes stylised computer-generated nudity and sex scenes.

Who is your digital crush?

Playing out stories in games and our imaginations can be a powerful place for self-discovery. Romance arcs have always featured in video games, fostering virtual exploration of desire, sexuality and emotion. Escape into a fantasy world as you enter a dreamy shrine to love and imagination inspired by Jarra’s experiences playing games from the 1990s to today. Tap into a sensual state of mind and write a devotional tribute to your favourite fictional character – adding to a growing collection of love letters celebrating communal fandom. Let roleplay and reality bleed together as the heady mood settles in. Letters can be signed anonymously but will be readable and form part of the ongoing work.

How do our digital and romantic lives intertwine?

BIOGRAPHY

Jarra Karalinar Steel (AUS) (Boonwurrung, Wemba Wemba and Trawlwoolway) is a multidisciplinary artist whose work explores her identity, memories, future folklore, Blak Futurism and her lived experiences growing up in Melbourne and living on country surrounded by culture with knowledge passed down through her family and Elders. Her focus in public/community art looks at ways to insert contemporary cultural visual language into the urban and/or digital landscape by reclaiming space and belonging through visual storytelling.

Sound design by Susan Maco Forrester.

 Susan Maco Forrester (AUS) is a Queer Somali -Australian sound and visual artist. As a child Susan migrated from London to Australia with her family and lives and works on the lands of the people of the Kulin Nations, in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. As an accomplished digital artist and creative producer, Susan specialises in community based, contemporary arts and cultural projects.

The video content in love bytes has been made using screen recordings from the artist’s own game play of the video game Baldur’s Gate 3 by Larian Studios. This content has not been commissioned by Larian Studios and is presented for educational and artistic purposes only.