When the Body Says Yes

Dutch artist melanie bonajo does ongoing research into the current state of intimacy in a world where capitalism has penetrated deep into the personal sphere and where everything can be commodified.

The idea that touch can be a powerful remedy for the modern epidemic of loneliness, is the starting point for When the Body Says Yes. The film, which was part of an immersive installation for the Venice Biennale 2022, brings together a diverse group of people in a space that most resembles a warm, soft womb. Touch is the lingua franca here, and through direct or indirect skin contact, collective experiences such as pleasure, intimacy, closeness, boundaries and consent are explored. Some of the people we also see individually in dreamlike scenes in nature.

Meanwhile, participants tell in voice-over about their relationship with touch, sex and their bodies, evaluating how upbringing, family culture and society leave their imprint. Their frankness is contagious and is bound to lead our minds to the meaning of touch and intimacy in relation to our own bodies.