now on view in NYC

Funland: Pleasures & Perils of the Erotic Fairground

FUNLAND: Pleasures & Perils of the Erotic Fairground, an art installation by renowned London-based conceptual artist duo Bompas & Parr, features a selection of “carnival attractions” for audiences to enjoy and experience while they contemplate the sexual subtext of carnivals.

This immersive exhibition, commissioned by the Museum of Sex, features five “attractions” designed to stimulate all five senses in both subtle and not-so-subtle ways. Physical, visual and olfactory experiences are utilized to give the audience a breathless rush of endorphins (similar to those released at the point of orgasm), challenge their strength and agility, and allow them to compete with and impress friends and lovers, as well as other patrons.

To illustrate the rich history of fairground eroticism and to help provide the cultural context for this exhibition, Bompas & Parr have collaborated with Professor Vanessa Toulmin, Director of the UK National Fairground Archive and recent speaker at the PSFK Conference. To learn more about the historical context behind this exhibition, please read Toulmin’s essay, As Graceful As They Were Disgraceful: Eroticism and the Fairground.

Amongst the interactive experiences, visitors are invited to jump high in Jump for Joy, a moonbounce made of giant, over-sized breasts, scale a wall of orifices and appendages in Grope Mountain, and lose themselves in The Tunnel of Love, a mirrored labyrinth that leads patrons on a climactic journey to the Gräfenberg (or “G”) Spot, all while listening to a custom carnival soundscape by composer Dom James and tempted by edible treats designed by Bompas & Parr.

“LIKE A WILLY WONKA SEX DREAM.”

NEW YORK MAGAZINE

“CANNOT OVERSTATE THE SHEER MAJESTY OF MY EXPERIENCE. IT WAS FUCKING GLORIOUS.”

COVETEUR

“A CARNIVALESQUE MASHUP OF EROTICA, EDIBLES AND ARCHITECTURE.”

THE ATLANTIC