The thin summer
robe in the face of bare desire offers no defence

On 17th June, our dear friend Mirte Bogaert shared with us—and an engaged audience—her research project As You Like It, in which she visited a number of striptease theatres in Japan (not to be confused with Western-style strip clubs), interviewed the dancers working there, and observed the behaviour of the visitors.

She explored the question of when and why naked bodies—particularly female bodies—are sexualised, and how personal relationships and shifts in the gaze can both challenge the objectification of women and liberate nudity from the confines of both fine art and pornography.

Together with the audience, we look forward to the further development of this project and the performative production Mirte will present later this year.

Many thanks to BIT Teatergarasje for this valuable collaboration—we hope it will be the first of many.