The Doll Next Door

For centuries, humanity has been fascinated by artificial companionship.

Since 2018, the adult doll market has rapidly grown, creating a global community of individuals in synthetic relationships.

Doll owners, across diverse backgrounds and professions, defy easy categorization while challenging societal norms. Their homes become private spaces, filled with everything their dolls might need, as if truly alive. Despite the significance of these relationships, they often remain secret due to societal stigma. Many in this subculture hide their lifestyle from close friends and family. Yet, through private forums, blogs, and social media, doll enthusiasts connect, share advice, and celebrate their lives, finding belonging in a misunderstood world.

As technology advances, love dolls are on the brink of a new era—the rise of robot companionship. Each innovation blurs the line between fantasy and reality, offering a glimpse into a future where intimacy is redefined.

This project explores the emotional bonds between individuals and their synthetic companions, showing how dolls act as confidants, companions, and surrogate family members, while also examining the identity of both owners and their dolls.

Ludovica Limido

Born in 1995 in Varese, Italy, Ludovica Limido is a documentary photographer whose work centers on countercultures and human connection. After graduating from art school, her travels through Australia and Southeast Asia deepened her need for photography.

In 2019, Ludovica was awarded a photography scholarship at Milan’s John Kaverdash Academy, opening doors to new collaborations and recognition. Her projects explore a diverse range of themes, from life in small Italian villages to European body suspension subcultures, folklore, and the experiences of adolescence in provincial settings. Her work delves into the complexities of belonging, identity, and the interplay between individuality and group dynamics.

In 2023, she discovered an online community in the world of love dolls which piqued her interest, inspiring her project The Doll Next Door, focusing on the companionship between humans and their synthetic counterparts.

Her photography has earned her recognition as a finalist in various competitions and has been exhibited at photography festivals such as the Incadaqués Photo Festival and the Indian Photo Festival.