“When you see a rose you say, ‘How pretty!’ And when you see a snake you say, ‘How disgusting!’ You know nothing of the world where the rose and the snake are intimates and at night exchange shapes, the snake’s cheeks turning red and the rose putting forth shining scales……You’ve never realized what blood they shed on a stormy nights out of love for each other. You know nothing of nights when holiness and shame imperceptibly switch appearances.” — Madame de Sade

This quote alludes to a masochistic relationship teemed with sex and blood, love and death. For every yin, there is a yang; for every sadist, there is a masochist to satisfy their needs. They’re capable of switching roles for mutual pleasure. In a hardcore relationship, two individuals would become one, they would intertwine and transform with each other physically, mentally, spiritually.

The projected video is responding to Kelela’s music which feels like there is blood flowing through it. And the bloody skull reflects the essence of sexual nature, there is nothing shameful or holy about it.