Succubus
ˈsʌkjʊbəs/ A folkloric mythical female demon or supernatural entity who appears in dreams to seduce men, usually through sexual activity. The allure of a demonic female seductress is a recurrent theme throughout history. Lilith in the Babylonian Talmud, ki-sikil-lil-la-ke in the Epic of Gilgamesh, Sirens and Harpies in Greek Mythology, Al Quarinah in Arabian mythology, Al Nadaha in Egyptian urban legends and the Succubus in Medieval literature are but to mention a few. The concept has always been analogous to the conflict between desire and social norms.
In Jungian psychology, the succubus archetype often symbolizes the integration of the shadow self, which encompasses suppressed desires, fears, and other rejected aspects of one’s psyche.
Contemporary technology plays an important role in reinventing the concept of the succubus through man/machine hybridization. The capitalist machine feeds upon the simultaneous broadcasting of digital flesh in uncountable instances fueled by the dynamic of desire, manifesting the myth of the succubus in binary code.
From Fritz Lang’s Metropolis to medical illustration and pop culture, Youssef Ragheb Draws upon a large archive of public domain visuals, to recreate a reinterpretation of the succubus through the narrative of mythology, film, Japanese manga, modern day memes and texts.
Succubus is an examination of desire and the self in the digital age from the perspective of global human heritage.
