The first encounter with the web-cam performance artist Molly Soda’s work will probably not occur in a traditional gallery or museum setting, and may not even occur within a typical art context at all. Instead Soda has generated a significant online following, sharing her web-based performances across social media platforms including Facebook, Tumblr and Twitter. Through opening up and expressing her vulnerability online, via the private space of her bedroom, Soda explores the technological mediation of self-identity, contemporary feminism, culture and perversion.
Soda was born Amalia Soto in 1989 in San Juan, Puerto Rico and currently lives and works in New York. She received her B.F.A in Photography and Imaging from Tish School of Art, New York University in 2011. Soda gained repute through participating in Paddles On!, the first ever digital art auction and gallery show held at Phillips auction house, New York, in 2013. There, she sold her piece Inbox Full (2013), an eight-hour webcam video of Soda reading all of the messages in her Tumblr inbox.
Since 2015 her work has been represented by Annka Kultys Gallery. The artist has had two gallery solo exhibitions, including Comfort Zone in 2016 and From My Bedroom to Yours in 2015 which was her first ever presentation and was accompanied by a fully illustrated catalogue with three original essays.
Previous solo shows at the gallery include From My Bedroom to Yours and Comfort Zone. She has participated in several group shows internationally, including Net [ ] Work: 24 hours of Contemporary Video Art, Los Angles, Your Digital Self Hates You, Stadt Bern (2016) in Bern, Switzerland; Doubly So in Detroit; The Wrong Digital Art Biennale (2015) in Seoul; Like 2 B Liked in Kopenhagen, Denmark. She remains active on Tumblr and Twitter, and regularly publishes on NewHive.
Click here to download full CV
SELECTED WORKS
He
2015
http://newhive.com/mollysoda/he NewHive page and YouTube Video, 5 min 18 sec
Dimensions variable
Ed. of 3 + 2 AP
(MSod003.15)
Our Song
2015
http://newhive.com/mollysoda/our-song NewHive Page and YouTube video, 15 min 11 sec
Dimensions variable
Ed. of 3 + 2 AP
(MSod006.15)
i tried with you
2015
https://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=jZOv5q376×U Video, 1 min 37 sec
Dimensions variable
Ed. of 3 + 2 AP
(MSod013.15)
wrong wrong wrong
2015
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS- GU4PQembs
Video, 2 min 19 sec
Dimensions variable
Ed. of 3 + 2 AP
(MSod020.15)
I’m A Loner Dottie
2016
C-Type print on aluminium
55.2 x 31 cm
(21 3/4 x 12 1/4 in)
Unique
(MSod029.16)
Aspiring Spinster
2016
C-Type print on aluminium
55.2 x 31 cm
(21 3/4 x 12 1/4 in)
Unique
(MSod30.16)
WRU?
2016
C-Type print on aluminium
42.7 x 64.4 cm
(16 13/16 x 25 in)
Unique
(MSod033.16)
All I Have Is My Phone
2016
Video, 5 min 58 sec
Dimensions variable
Ed. of 3 + 1AP
(MSod040.16)
Come To My Window
2016
Video, 22 min 2 sec
Dimensions variable
Ed. of 3 + 1AP
(MSod041.16)
Sad Clown Makeup Tutorial
2016
Video, 17 min 1 sec
Dimensions variable
Ed. of 3 + 1AP
(MSod047.16)
I Would
2016
Video, 4 min 51 sec
Dimensions variable
Ed. of 3 + 1AP
(MSod051.16)
We’ve All Been There
2016
Video, 5 min 39 sec
Dimensions variable
Ed. of 3 + 1AP
(MSod052.16)
Me, I love to laugh
2016
hair, resin, plastic, nail polish, lipstick, mascara, candy, paper, met, rubber, CD, glitter
55 x 55 x 5 cm
(21.5 x 21.5 x 2 in)
Unique
(Mood053.16)
For more information about available works, please contact sales@annkakultys.com
SELECTED NEWS/PRESS
PBS, American Masters
20 December 2017
Practice Gallery
2 December – 10 December 2017
Irish Museum of Modern Art
1 December 2017 – 25 February 2018
“Es darf sich geärgert werden”
Monopol, by Anika Meier
1 December 2017
Drip, by Kickstarter
21 November 2017
“Pre-Thanksgiving Potluck with Molly Soda, Mutual Benefit, and More”
Secret Project Robot
20 November 2017
Adolescent
16 November 2017
“Molly Soda, Internet Darling”
Redhawk Radio
7 November 2017
“Molly Soda for Photography on a Postcard”
Art on a Postcard
26 October 2017
Elephant Magazine
25 October 2017
FORGE. Art Magazine
20 October 2017
Humor and the Abject, interview by Sean J Patrick Carney
9 October 2017
“How to put Internet art in a book”
The Verge, review by Kaitlyn Tiffany
1 October 2017
“Shared – Curated by Molly Soda and Sara Sutterlin”
Published by Fireythings
16 September 2017
“Molly Soda in conversation with KPISS”
KPISS.fm
30 July 2017
DRØME, interview by Wade Wallerstein
29 June 2017
StaiZitta, commissioned video
29 June 2017
“I Wish All Roses Were Microphones”
Molly Soda, self-published new video
29 June 2017
“Molly Soda on How Social Media Changes Us IRL”
Artsy, interview by Casey Lesser
7 June 2017
Forge Magazine, interview by Matthew James-Wilson
1 May 2017
“From MySpace to Instagram: Talking Internet Evolution with Molly Soda”
Fem Magazine, interview by Rebecca Vorich
24 April 2017
“Going back online- A chat with Molly Soda”
Widewalls, interview by Amar Priganica & Marie-Claire Gagnon
2 April 2017
” ‘Pics or It Didn’t Happen’ Shows What Instagram Shuts Out”
The Tangential
April 2017
“Check out Arvida Bystrom And Molly Soda’s Collection of Banned Instagram Photos”
Paper
15 March 2017
“The photographs of women’s bodies that instagram censored”
Artsy, review by Molly Gottshalk
13 March 2017
Mask, interview by Randon Rosenbohm
28 February 2017
“Artists Explore Why We Act the Way We Do Online”
Man Repeller, interview by Hannah Keegan
16 February 2017
“7 Female Artists Turning Their Bedrooms Into Art”
Amuse, review by Charlotte Jansen
16 January 2017
“Violette Collective interviews Molly Soda”
VIOLETTE COLLECTIVE
17 November 2016
“Exhibition | Molly Soda – Comfort Zone”
Artefact Magazine, review by Iman El Kafrawi
7 November 2016
TimeOut, review by Eddy Frenkel
27 October 2016
February Stationary, review by Marianne Eloise
14 October 2016
“Molly Soda Challenges the Notion of Private Areas as Safe-Heavens”
Sleek, interview by Gloria Cadorna
13 October 2016
Artrabbit, review by Vivi Kallinikou
12 October 2016
“How Feminist Photography of the 1970’s Paved the Way for Women Artists Today”
Artsy, review by Charlotte Jansen
7 October 2016
“9 Emerging Artist You Need To Know About Right Now’
Artnet, review by Caroline Elbaor & Brian Boucher
28 July 2016
“Are Selfies Empowering for Women?”
The Guardian, review by Laura Bates
4 February 2016
“The Best Art Exhibition of 2016”
TimeOut, review by Eddy B Frankel
16 December 2016
“Molly Soda: From My Bedroom To Yours @ Annka Kultys Gallery”
East London Lines, review by Emilie Shane
09 Dec 2015
1883 Magazine, review by Jacopo Nuvolari
30 Nov 2015
“Annka Kultys Gallery: Molly Soda ‘From My Bedroom to Yours’ (Until 16th January 2016)
Let’s Make Lots of Money, review by Issey Scott
28 November 2015
“Bedrooms, Karaoke and Glitter: Molly Soda Makes Her Solo Show Debut”
Art Slant, review by Charlotte Jansen
27 November 2015
“Molly Soda @ Annka Kultys”
The White Pube, review by Gabriella de la Puente and Zarina Muhammad
25 November 2016
“What Is It Like to Live Your Life Online”
Dazed, review by Ashleigh Kane
24 November 2015
“Meet Molly Soda, the Feminist Making Webcome Art For the Tumblr Generation”
Asks Likes, review by Ione Gamble
24 November 2015
“Molly Soda: From My Bedroom to Yours”
February Stationery, review by Marianne Haynes
24 November 2015
“Molly Soda: From My Bedroom To Yours”
AQNB
24 November 2016
Ladygunn, interview by Koko Ntuen
6 Oct 2015
Dazed, review by Monique Todd
September 2015
“Why Are We So Obsessed With Self-Identification on Social Media?”
Creators Project, review by Andrew Nunes
20 August 2015
“47 Of Our Favourite Female Artists In One Amazing Show”
i–D, review by Emily Manning
30 July 2015
“Narcissistic, Maybe. But Is There More To the Selfie?”
NPR, review by NPR Staff
27 July 2015
“Molly Soda Releases ‘I Don’t Want You To Miss Me’ Zine, Talks Recent Internet Controversy”
Bullett, review by Kayla Unnerstall
10 Jul 2015
“Cyber Feminist Molly Soda on How To Find Empowerment Online”
Galore, review by Maria Pasquini
08 July 2015
“Molly Soda Leaks Own Nudes, Internet Calls Her ‘Anti-Feminism”
Bullett, review by Kayla Unnerstall
10 June 2015
“The Cyber Feminist Leaking Her Own Nudes”
Dazed, review by Alice Mosey
June 2015
“The Digital Artist Who’s Dating a Teddy Bear”
Dazed, review by Alice Mosey
April 2015
“Artists Transform 404 Error Pages Into Gorgeous Work Of Glitch Art”
Huffington Post, review by Priscilla Frank
21 April 2015
“Molly Soda Asks “What Is Your Wifi?”
Detroit News, review by Melody Beatens
13 January 2015
“The Nude Panda Calendar of your Dreams Is Finally Here”
Paper Mag, review by Gabby Bess
17 November 2014
“‘Feminism Is A Basic Concept. I Think It’s Rad’ Polyester Chats to Molly Soda”
Polyester Magazine, interview by Flo Wales Bonner,
2014
“Molly Soda Is Paris’s Favourite”
Dazed, by Claire Marie Healy,
2014
“Art Crush: Molly Soda and the Weekly Roundup”
Tucked In, review by Ilana Savdie
2014
“Youth Subcultures: What Are They Now?”
The Guardian, review by Alexis Petrifies
20 March 2014
“Molly Soda wishes you a Happy Valentine’s Day with OKCupid inspired GIF cards”
The Creators Project, review by Kelley Hoffman
14 February 2014
“Curator Of Molly Soda’s ‘Found’ Photos: ‘I Don’t Think Of These As Molly Soda’s Photos”
Animal, review by Marina Galperina
4 February 2014
“Dude Finds Molly Soda’s Old Art in Trash, Curates ‘Anonymous’ Artist’s Exhibit in Chicago”
Animal, review by Marina Galperina
3 February 2014
“Going Once, Going Twice: Phillips and Tumblr Put GIFs On Auction”
Forbes, review by Kathryn Thayer
22 October 2013
“Would You Pay $2,000 For A GIF?”
The Verge, review by Molly Osberg
17 October 2013
“What It’s Like To Be Tumblrs Famous”
Motherboard, review by Johannah King-Slutsky,
13 June 2013
“Molly Soda: Tumblr Kid”
Atlas Zine, review by Camila Gonzalez,
21 March 2013
“Moments Of Female Adolescence, Illuminated Online And In Print”
Hyperallergic, review by Alicia Eler
13 March 2013
“The Teen-Girl Tumblr Aesthetic”
Hyperallergic, review by Alicia Eler
1 March 2013
EXHIBITIONS
6 JULY – 29 JULY 2017
14 OCTOBER – 12 NOVEMBER 2016
30 JUNE – 30 JULY 2016
MOLLY SODA | FROM MY BEDROOM TO YOURS
25 NOVEMBER 2015 – 16 JANUARY 2016