Toy Stories: Designing Intimacy is a new exhibition being held at Kunsthal Rotterdam in the Netherlands until 11th May 2025 which showcases revolutionary, 21st-century developments in the field of sex toy design.
Created in collaboration with The Oh Collective, a Netherlands-based platform founded in 2021, the exhibition shows how sex toys reflect contemporary society, highlighting changing views on sexuality and pleasure.
“Designing Intimacy offers a multifaceted perspective on the evolution of sex toy design,” said a spokesperson. “Sketches, prototypes, casting moulds, and material samples show the processes behind the creation. Recent insights regarding anatomy and technology led to the dawning of a new age in which aesthetics, functionality, and accessibility take centre stage. Organisations led by women, such as The Oh Collective and female designers are playing a vital role in this process and are changing the industry from the inside out.
“While sex toys were once exclusively phallic-shaped, contemporary designs display a wide range of alternative shapes and functions. People who see the white, elegant geometric objects for men designed by Tenga would never suspect that these are in fact sex toys. This Japanese brand intentionally avoids designing objects resembling body parts to protect their customers from embarrassment. The ‘Rose’ is another design that is not reminiscent of a sex toy. This bright pink, silicon object is shaped like a rose and has become so popular that multiple companies and designers have since developed their own versions of this product. The exhibition furthermore zooms in on how today sex toy design not only enhances solo experiences but also plays a role in shared intimacy.”
Several designs show how sex toys can also improve physical and mental health and offer insights into changing social attitudes towards sexual pleasure, and the exhibition also demonstrates how inclusivity now plays a significant role in contemporary sex toy design, with products increasingly catering to a variety of needs, gender identities, physical impairments, and life stage.
For more information visit www.kunsthal.nl
Image: Rabbit Vibrator Campaign, 2024 © The Oh Collective
