The most consistent VNS Matrix genesis story is that they crawled out of the cyberswamp in the particularly hot summer of 1991. Originally manifesting as "Velvet Downunder", a short-lived alterna-porn cartel, they quickly exhausted the possibilities involving their bodies and scanners, but an unholy alliance with technology and its machines had been forged. VNS Matrix slid in via an aesthetics of slime, its gaze firmly fixed on dripping cipherspace, and spewed forth a blasphemous text which was the birth of cyberfeminism. VNS Matrix was on a mission to hijack the toys from technocowboys and remap cyberculture with a feminist bent.

This is one story.

Announcement:

VNS MERCH SHOP NOW OPEN!

VNSMATRIX.THREADLESS.COM

VNS MATRIX has been undertaking fundraising work to support the work of organisations and individuals involved in justice, reparative and anti-racist work for First Nations, IBPOC, queer/trans, people in need, Aboriginal deaths in custody and protection of the land.

This merchandise site was set up to facilitate this fundraising.

80% of all funds raised are donated.

Help us put cyberfeminism to work!

Event Dates

Festival
Location
,
VNS Matrix – Brave New Girls. Infiltrate
VNS Matrix – Brave New Girls. Infiltrate
Show me
2019

Producing Futures 2019

Events

Technofeminisms: The Future Cunt

Publications

VNS Matrix

Publications

2018

@go #91010

Essays

A Tender Hex

Essays

Game Girl

Essays

Manifesto

Essays

2017

Ars Electronica 2017

Events

Challenges to immateriality

Publications

We Make Art with our Cunts

Publications

2016

(New) Media

Publications

A Brief History of Cyberfeminism

Publications

A Tender Hex for the Anthropocene

Projects

Fem Flix 2016

Events

Feminist Worldbuilding in the Australian Cyberswamp

Publications

Runway Magazine Section Editorial

Projects

The cyberfeminists who called themselves ‘the future cunt’

Publications

2014

‘We Are the Future Cunt’

Publications

An Oral History of the First Cyberfeminists

Publications

Cyberfeminism

Publications

Monstrous Agents

Publications

Remix w/ Soda_Jerk

Projects

2011

Revisiting Cyberfeminism

Publications

2007

Cyber-(ob)scene

Publications

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang 2007

Events

2005

Interzone

Publications

2004

Early Internet Art

Publications

The Cyberfeminist Fantasy of the Pleasure of the Cyborg

Publications

2003

Cyberfeminism and Artificial Life

Publications

NET.ART

Publications

2002

Digital Culture

Publications

Prefiguring Cyberculture

Publications

2001

very cyberfeminist international 2001

Events

Working the Screen

Publications

2000

CHEMISTRY: Art in South Australia 1990-2000

Events

1999

Gens and Digits 1999

Events

SYNWORLD 1999

Events

1998

“Slimy metaphors for technology: ‘the clitoris is a direct line to the Matrix’”

Publications

A Report on Cyberfeminism

Publications

All New Gen

Publications

Attack of the CyberFeminists

Publications

1997

Bad Code

Projects

Cyber Cultures 1997

Events

Love and Freedom

Publications

Suffragettes to She-Devils

Publications

techné cultures

Publications

Zeros and Ones

Publications

1996

Ars Electronica 1996

Events

Australian Women Artists & New Media Technologies

Publications

Big New Sites: Virtual Theme Parks

Projects

Bitch Mutant Manifesto

Projects

Game Girls

Publications

VNS Matrix: Cyberfeminists

Publications

1995

25 Years of Performance Art 1995

Events

ACCA Australian Centre for Contemporary Art 1995

Events

AOL: Acker-On-Line

Publications

Ars 95 Helsinki 1995

Events

Artspace 1995

Events

Corpusfantastica MOO

Projects

Cyber dykes R Us

Publications

Cybergettes

Publications

Maps: Territories: Subject: corpusfantasticaMOO

Publications

Rise of the Cyber-Fems

Publications

The Future is Fe/Male

Publications

The Performance Space 1995–1996

Events

Virtual Futures 1995

Events

YYZ Artists’ Outlet 1995

Events

1994

5th International Symposium on Electronic Art (ISEA) 1994

Events

ACCA Australian Centre for Contemporary Art 1994

Events

Adelaide Festival 1994

Events

All New Gen

Publications

ALL NEW GEN

Publications

Art Forums

Publications

Australian International Video Symposium 1994

Events

babes in boyland

Publications

E Sensual Fragments

Projects

Game Grrrls

Publications

Girls in Cyberspace

Publications

ICA Institute of Contemporary Art 1994

Events

Infiltrate

Projects

Interfaces 1994

Events

Letter From Birmingham

Publications

Media Futures 1994

Events

Morphing the Oz indie film scene paradigm

Publications

Women Computing and Culture

Publications

Women Taking Space in Cyberculture

Publications

1993

Against ‘Neofuturism’

Publications

All New Gen

Publications

Engineering Poetics

Publications

Experimental Art Foundation 1993

Events

Fourth International Symposium on Electronic Art [FISEA’93] 1993

Events

Infiltrate

Publications

Nintendo’s New World Order

Publications

Under the VR Spell?

Publications

Welcome to the world of ALL NEW GEN

Publications

1992

ALL NEW GEN

Projects

Billboard Project

Projects

Forget Barbie, Let’s Slime

Publications

SIGGRAPH 1992

Events

Third International Symposium on Electronic Art (TISEA) 1992

Events

1991

The Cyberfeminist Manifesto for the 21st Century

Projects

VNS Matrix acknowledge that all work was made on indigenous land, primarily Tarntanya on Kaurna land, and Bondi of the Eora nation. We enjoyed the privilege of free passage across that land to create our works, and all benefits that have accrued from the production of that work are as a result of that privilege.

VNS Matrix supports feminisms that are inclusive of all women (trans women, womxn, feminine-identified and non-binary identified people and cis women); and that are intersectional.