My MFA thesis exhibition, Masters,2024, looks into the intersection of control, surveillance, and sexuality within gay communities, especially through the lens of fetish culture. In the main video “Masters” use a thermal camera to capture intimate moments within the dark rooms and gay parties, placing viewers directly into a visual exploration of surveillance in spaces that are seen as private and liberating.
Amidst these underground spaces' pulsing music and shadowy corners, I witness a balance between liberation and objectification. Although individuals may seem to move freely, there's a tension— a sense of being objectified, where personal thoughts and individuality are eclipsed by their reduction to mere objects of desire. This observation led me to question my role: Am I also a transgressive predator in this setting? What does intimacy mean in a world where the commodification of bodies on platforms like Instagram and in pornography is so common?
How I experience it in my body as paralyzing anxiety. In contrast, the camera protects me, taking my real persona behind it, acting as if I am curious, being in dark rooms, and making connections there as a liberal guy who accepts sexuality without questions about it. walking on this thin line between being accepting and feeling something in this setting feels wrong.
In this exhibition, I highlight the tension between public visibility and private desires, revealing deeper layers of surveillance, voyeurism, sexuality, identity, and free will. This project serves as a commentary on the complex relationship between surveillance and sexual expression, challenging accepted norms within the gay community. By bringing these issues to light, I aim to promote greater personal agency, empowering individuals to reclaim control over their bodies and identities in pursuit of true liberalism and questioning nihilistic acceptance.
Additionally, the anonymity that these spaces offer can be a double-edged sword. It provides a temporary escape but can also amplify feelings of isolation and detachment, revealing a complex tension between physical desire and emotional fulfillment, where individuals may engage in sexual encounters as a means of seeking validation or connection, even if it comes at the expense of their well-being, or later regrets. My video aims to capture this delicate balance, highlighting how observing and being observed reshapes interactions in this confined space.
My work has sparked diverse reactions within my community and out of it; some highly criticize the ethical implications, while others resonate with the feelings of detachment and anxiety I describe. By presenting these encounters, my video invites viewers to reflect on the complexities of navigating desire and sexual identity in spaces where secrecy, intimacy, and surveillance have blurred lines.
Similar to the supervisory control enabled by the Panopticon configuration, the video work presents an external view and transforms subjects into objects of observation. I test the line between exploitation and harm, sexual curiosity, and the exploitation that anonymity allows. It seems that consent to perform sexual acts stems from obedience to the codes of acceptable behavior and a desire to belong to and be part of the gay community. The sexual experience in a profitable economic industry presents the destructive power of a capitalist society, which lacks empathy. On the edge between rape and free will (or consent) are always those who have their hands on their bottoms or who have no words or language to refuse the ones with their hands on.
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Spiderman (Darkweb)
2024
found poster stand, color print (101×71 cm),
acrilyc glass, cardboard.
Installation view / detail
In one of my trips through gay darkrooms I found a guy dressed spiderman, so I invited him to my room for an intimate photoshoot.
L’Origine du monde
2022
found globus, 3d download, arudiono, red installation view
While developing works like “Masters,” which explore themes of surveillance and sexuality, I created more works like this shutter iris mechanism artfully painted to resemble an anus. This design is a metaphor for the invasive gaze in today’s media- saturated era. Additionally, I symbolically cut a hole in a globe over the Middle East, reflecting on the pervasive scrutinyI experienced as an Israeli student. This sculpture allowed me to deal with the complexities of identity, privacy, and personal expression amidst a backdrop of constant observation in a parodical way.
Fly on the Wall
video (4:45 min)
installation view
I found a man on Grindr whose hammer is Japanese rope tying (shibari) and photographed his subjects. I invited him to my house, put a green screen on my bed and showed him a video of building a spider web. It made my bed symbolic of a spider, and I imagine myself as a fly caught in it and document the situation in which I was caught.
Masters
2024
, thermal camera video installation, arm holder (7:02), sound
Installation view
My project video, Masters (2024), explores the intersection of control, surveillance, and sexuality within gay communities, particularly through the lens of fetish culture. Using a thermal camera, I capture discrete moments in dark rooms and gay parties, immersingviewers in a visual exploration of surveillance in spaces traditionally considered private and liberating. The video delves into the complex relationship between individual autonomy
and social norms, highlighting the balance between liberation and objectification. Filmed over eight months in Paris and Belgium, the work challenges accepted norms
within the gay community and raises critical ethical questions about privacy and consent, revealing deeper layers of voyeurism, identity, and free will.