The Wet Ones by Katrien JACOBS

The video installation (a 7-minute loop) tells the story of a drag persona, Dr. Jacobs, who is reaching the end of his career and joins Afterglow, a corporate AI program that allows him to create a younger, more attractive AI double of himself. As he begins to develop this “AI professor,” a mishap occurs in the lab and the humanoid disappears. The narrative then follows Dr. Jacobs on a journey to find his double, who is said to inhabit aquatic environments.

The installation is part of a larger research project examining AI and deepfake technologies and their impact on bodies, gender, and sexuality. It adopts a techno-feminist approach, exploring AI scripts, biases, and limitations through artistic practice. The work draws inspiration from ancient East Asian and European myths about human–marine hybrids who inhabit and govern the waters, such as the Greek Nereids, known as “The Wet Ones,” small nymphs who purify water and move in groups. The piece also references Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, in which a pioneering yet troubled scientist and his flawed creation pursue one another through Alpine landscapes.