The Congress for Urban Malfeasance (CUM) has designed a rather unusual sex toy. In the shape of the main stadium for the 2022 Qatar Soccer World Cup, the silicone masturbator is meant to draw attention to the corruption and human rights violations that have taken place during the organization of the event.
The toy features a likeness of the Al Janoub soccer stadium in Doha, designed by celebrity architect Zaha Hadid. CUM says that the toy highlights »the most outstanding examples of financial promiscuity in the architectural and urban realm,« including the »high cost, corruption and human rights abuses« associated with the construction of the Al Janoub stadium.
Shan Raoufi, an employee of New York-based architecture and design firm Wolfgang & Hite, told Fast Company that the group’s main criticism is the use of public funds to enrich individuals who do not necessarily need them. Wolfgang & Hite began staging similar stunts in 2019, with a set of dildos shaped like the towers of New York’s Hudson Yards development project.
In an interview with the magazine Fast Company Raoufi said, »There’s been so much criticism of Qatar and the labor practices, and it doesn’t seem like there’s been any real backlash. It all just feels like there’s no teeth to anyone’s concern. The whole world is aghast by these practices and yet we’re all watching this game that we’re addicted to. No one dropped out. Everyone’s brand is on everything. Where’s our conscience? Where’s our compass?«
According to Raoufi, the Al Janoub soccer stadium in Doha represents the worst combination of corruption and human rights violations. The stadium faced ridicule and criticism when its renderings were released due to its similarity in appearance to a vagina.
However, the more pressing issue surrounding the stadium is the labor conditions faced by migrant workers who were responsible for its construction. Human rights groups have likened the treatment of these workers to indentured servitude, and it is estimated that 6,500 migrants died while working on World Cup-related projects, though some believe this number to be an undercount.