Nelke's performance consists of three works: The Pleasure is all Mine, Onderbroekenloland Smell Me.
The Pleasure is all Mine
“No mom, I'm not dressed like a whore I am creating visual commentary on gender roles by deconstructing and re-establishing prominent gendered sexual archetypes’’
Women and femme presenting people are objectified whether they are in the bedroom or in the kitchen. Whatever they do, whether it is sexual or not (like cleaning a room), men still find a way to call it ‘hot’.
Nelly's background in digitizing female-assigned home-rituals (live streaming cleaning sessions at home from her bedroom) opened her up to the world of voyeurism. The webcam makes the private become public and the live-chat breaks down the fourth wall. The viewers, mainly men, pay for peeking into the private. In this way a traditional patriarchal gender role, like the housewife, can be reclaimed and monetized.
The housewife, in a reclaimed outfit, can help new ways of thinking about this objectification and the performativity of gender roles. And this is not done merely for the audience. Because if you boil it down: Nelke LOVES cleaning, so the pleasure is all hers.
Onderbroekenlol
Onderbroekenlol shines a light on the fetishization of vaginal discharge. This work originates from a previous side-job: selling worn panties online. A gap in the market! There is often a bit of mystery surrounding such practices. By showing a bigger audience that it is possible that women can be free sexual autonomous beings, hopefully one more stigma crumbles down.
How it works: Make a bid on the underwear that Nelly wears by simply walking up to them, or do it anonymously by a text to: +310627364064. The highest bidder can collect their prize at the end of the performance. Bidding starts from 20 euro and don’t be shy ;)
The ultimate BEFtival souvenir.
Smell Me
This project tries to shine a light on the normalization of vaginal discharge. For the sake of breaking the idea that vaginal discharge is gross or only something to fetishize, this work invites the visitors to take part in a social experiment. Trade in your worn underwear for a pair of handmade original NELLY DANSEN thongs and hang your worn pair on the clothing line. Put them on display, as there is not just one ‘right’ smell or look for vaginal discharge!
How it works: Take a fresh pair from the clothing line, take yours off in the dressing room and hang yours on the line. How to find a fresh pair? Smell!
This event is part of Beftival during Museumnacht Amsterdam.
