Can you live in a relationship where your partner is always here for you but can never hug you or wipe away your tears? Some people are content with letting time not exist when they engage in the most intellectually stimulating conversations while lacking physical support.
If your love language is physical touch, this may be difficult for you in the possible reality of hologram marriages. Not sure about it? Just ask Alicia Framis, one of the first to take that step this upcoming summer alongside Akihiko Kondo.
The pandemic has brought many shocking revelations and realizations that have been newfound for all. But marrying a hologram is a whole new level. It may be weird for some. However, this revelation raises many questions that can amaze or terrify an individual. How will this affect mental health? What about the law? How will this impact the economy? And most importantly, how will this impact humanity as it already does?
Imagine telling your grandkids or telling a story that you remember the first time hologram marriages were introduced to mainstream society. How crazy would that be? 100 years from now, some of the earliest records can be traced back to Alicia Framis.
Okay… so who is Alicia Framis?
Alicia Framis was born in Spain and now lives in the Netherlands. She is a contemporary artist who focuses on interactive art through sculpture, performance and architectural installations. The hologram she will soon say “I do” to is actually her own creation. The hologram, “AILEX,” is a collection of her past relationships. Although this is a new perspective on her art, coexisting with her art is not a first for Framis.
In 1996, the 56-year-old artist lived with a mannequin, Pierre, in a work called ‘Cinema Solo.’ Framis dedicates her artistry to implementing science to assist in bringing meaningful relationships to support people facing mental illness, disability, gender imbalance or traumatic experiences.
In an interview with Euronews, Framis shares a more personal case. “My friend is a widow, and it is difficult for her to replace her husband. AI and human companions can be a good option for those who need company.” Not only is Framis’s decision to marry a hologram for emotional support, but it will be a notable milestone in her career.
In the same interview with Euronews, she explains to authors Jamie Velázque and Theo Farrant, “I want to make an artistic documentary that includes drawings, interviews with other women, sketches about bodies, arms, romantic dreams, domestic situations and the daily life of my partner. I want to explore how to integrate the hologram into my daily life,“.
With the LAM museum, Framis is working to create molecular food that humans and holograms can enjoy. With all of this information ensuring this as a future reality, I am, and I hope you are too, asking, how is this legally possible? When researching this, I did not find any legal records that confirm or deny the law of marrying a hologram. The closest I got was the Government of the Netherlands. According to government.nl, the site conveys that in the U.S., it is not legal to marry an inanimate object. However, a noncivil ceremony is permissible to do. This most likely will be the case for Framis.
Okay…but is this actually beneficial?
Within these past two decades, it has not been uncommon to find a couple’s relationship introduction taking place on social media. What is also not surprising is the skeptics and the opposing side of this societal change around marriages. Now, marrying a hologram is still a brand new concept and has not been researched, but this may stem from social media.
Mind and Body Counseling Associates states that social media’s impact on relationships “can lead to unrealistic relationship expectations as individuals compare their experiences to the carefully crafted images and narratives they see online.” These unrealistic relationships can actually do more harm by causing more anxiety and depression when struggling to question or doubt one’s self-esteem.
“A new generation of love is emerging, whether we like it or no, in which humans will marry and maintain relationships with holograms, avatars, robots and so.”
Alicia Framis
Studies show that increased time on social media has increased anxiety and depression. Can marrying a hologram actually help this so-called “loneliness” that people have when it comes to being on social media, or would it make it worse? This topic is heavily debated amongst the public. Speaking of the public, how are they reacting to this? More so, how is the public’s reaction important to this case?
People are having mixed emotions about this preview for the future. Some individuals are happy for Framis and prefer this option over meeting other humans online and in person. As geez, 33 comments under a Euronews IG post, “but actually much better than being with the wrong person! Can be also complemented by one-night stands for sex& physical intimacy #ShortTermSolution!”
Some people ask funny questions like rikza_adidas’s comment, “Is this available abroad?” or randivitransoedibyo’s, “What if the lights go out🔥.” Some do not subscribe so easily when saying that this is an extreme sign of loneliness and depression and that it should not be taken lightly. It depends on what a person needs emotionally, mentally, and physically, making these opinions vary.
What to expect?
The public is not completely on board yet, but that doesn’t mean that hologram marriages will not happen sometime soon. The future may be nearer than we know. It can be amazing and relaxing but also dangerous, scary, shocking and complicated. This future may have hologram marriages that could be the norm for all we know. But none of us, not even Framis, would know if her future will be a step towards a successful societal revelation or be one of its worst setbacks.
