Marina Orlova
Multidisciplinary Artist
“The body is never just a body. It is where power, desire, faith, and control collide.”
Moving Image & Performance
Early Internet / HotForWords
2007–2011
HotForWords, HarperCollins, 2009
Read a sample
Still from the HotForWords YouTube series, 2007–2011
Before establishing her contemporary art practice, Marina Orlova became internationally known for HotForWords, a pioneering YouTube series combining etymology, sexuality, education, and performance.
In 2009, HarperCollins published her book HotForWords, extending the project from digital media into print.
Together, the series and book represent an important chapter in early internet culture, exploring the relationship between language, femininity, intellectual authority, and online visibility.
Visit HotForWords Archive →
About the Artist
Marina Orlova is a Russian-born, California-based multidisciplinary artist whose work explores the intersections of femininity, religion, sexuality, political power, and cultural control. Working across painting, mixed media, photography, video, and performance, she challenges conventional ideas of beauty, identity, and authority.
Her work received First Prize at the 2023 London Art Biennale.
Curatorial & Exhibition Inquiries
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