Tamagotchis and Death in the Internet Age

"Owners of a tamagotchi are affectionately dubbed caretakers, as though, while you might own the plastic housing, you are just looking after the creature inside, until it goes on to its next place... and that next place is death."

Originally devised as a micro-talk for Arcadia (Dundee, 2023) Tamagotchis and Death in the Internet Age is a full length talk and powerpoint presentation about the global rise of digital pets and how we interact with these virtual entities. Looking at the history of children’s virtual pets, and the shift towards virtual worlds, this talk delves into what it means to lose something, and how we manifest grief for non-human creatures.

Nick has given the talk at The Photographers Gallery (Between Worlds, 2023) and Somerset House (Cute/Upgrade Yourself, 2024).