Collective Cuddles, 2023

Performance

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Photographs by René Lazový

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In Daniel Rey's "Collective Cuddles," a durational performance, five Latin men, all dressed in matching white T-shirts and light blue jeans, gather on ‘The Cuddling Platform’, a large denim cushion. There, they engage in gentle and tender physical contact, exploring notions of human connection, queer intimacy, and male tenderness. On the cushion's surface lie two red ratchet straps, often used for securing it during transportation. The men's movements are unhurried and unscripted, entwined with the presence of the red ratchet straps. The work invites audiences to question conventional notions of masculinity in patriarchal societies and highlights the significance of expressing affection beyond traditional romantic relationships.

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