‘Hook-Up Truck’ rolls out in Bay Area

By Evan Sernoffsky

Conceptual artist Spy Emerson beckons couples from the front seat of the Hook-Up Truck. The art project will be driving around the Bay Area for the first time this weekend.

The Hook-Up Truck, a commercial box truck retrofitted for sex on the street, departs on its maiden voyage this weekend around the Bay Area.

The truck, described on the project’s website as “either participatory performance art, a safe and convenient place to get down while out on the town, or the end of civilization as we know it” will be cruising around Oakland Friday night before heading over to San Francisco’s Mission neighborhood at 10 p.m.

On Saturday, the truck will be parked from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. at a party at NIMBY, an industrial art space on Amelia Street in Oakland.

Since we first brought you the story last month of conceptual artist Spy Emerson’s sex-themed art project, the story has exploded on the internet, landing on websites and blogs as far away as India.

Emerson welcomes the new publicity. Everyone, it seems, is intrigued by the provocative piece that was first conceived as she joked around with her friends.

“My friend was telling me about his use of Grindr and how he had sex with someone in a driveway,” Emerson said. “I though, ‘What if I started some kind of service for people on the go?’”

The idea took a while to come to fruition. Emerson tried to scrape some cash together from donors but no one was kicking down, so she ended up paying for the project herself.

The truck is nearly complete, and although Emerson wants to keep some of the details (including price) under wraps before the official unveiling Friday, she did offer a few tidbits about the inside of the rig.

“It’s a small room. Everyone who has seen it has had so much fun. It’s like being a kid in a fort,” she said. “It’s designed for sex. There’s a bench, a bar to hold onto, and there’s a mirror on the ceiling.

I’m still putting the finishing touches on it.”

After stories of the Hook-Up Truck first made the rounds on the internet, Emerson said she’s been getting a flood of calls from people eager to try her project out.

“The response has been so large. I didn’t realize the scope of how many people would be interested,” she said. “There are so many people who want to use it. You know, for a tryst, or work-time afternoon delight. A single mom with two kids who said she doesn’t have any time asked if we could be there in her driveway so she could have sex with her boyfriend — just a quickie.”

Emerson admits the original idea of the Hook-Up Truck as an art piece has evolved into a less art-inspired venture. But she also stresses the project is all in good fun.

“You don’t necessarily have to have intercourse in the truck to enjoy this project. We’re promoting safe sex,” she said. “I’m encouraging fun. Let’s keep it safe and fun.”

The next plan for the project, Emerson said, is to take the Hook-Up Truck on the road. She wants to go on a tour of festivals this summer and encourages fans to follow along on social media. She envisions her idea one day turning into a fleet of trucks based in cities all over the country where people can meet up to have sex.

While ultra-progressive San Francisco may welcome the idea of a truck built for casual sex, other cities around the country may not share the same sentiments.

Emerson said she has a lawyer and is prepared to defend her project should Johnny Law come-a-knockin’. Licensing for her product is also a little tricky, as it exists in a bit of a legal gray area, she said.

This weekend should be a good indicator for the future of the Hook-Up Truck. Certainly folks will want to stop by just to lay eyes on the intriguing project. But only time will tell if the truck becomes a smash hit — or perhaps brings a new element to Off the Grid.