Collective Cuddles, 2023
Work selected for Bloomberg New Contemporaries 2023, and will be part of the travelling exhibition starting in October at Grundy Art Gallery, Balckpool and Camden Art Centre, London in January 2024.
Performance
Duration: 30 mins
Photographs by René Razovy
In Daniel Rey's Collective Cuddles, five 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 physical contact, exploring notions of human connection. 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 straps. The work questions conventional notions of masculinity in patriarchal societies and highlights the significance of expressing affection beyond traditional romantic relationships.
