Touch’MTouch’M

Touch'M demonstrates how beautiful physical connection can be and simultaneously serves as a display of Giovanni's personal experience of healthy masculine touch. The film was created to challenge people's views on what it means to be intimate while being a man.

The artist states: "This short film serves as a symbolic depiction of how non-sexual touch can heal parts of the toxic masculinity that is prevalent but silent in Western society. Men are being conditioned out of intimate expression towards each other. Men's touch is limited to handshakes, back claps, and shoulder pats, however, nothing more than that. By not being able to engage in certain types of touch, men are not allowed to truly express themselves. As a result, this reduces and limits healthy interactions while defining a narrow way to express masculinity. This can be tied to producing less socially acceptable forms of touch such as sexual aggression and violence. These types of touch can often be characterised as traits of toxic masculinity. Such behaviours can be avoided if men are exposed to intimacy and connection in a positive manner."

On Friday, 5 October, the second event in the series will take place at Het Nieuwe Instituut.

Giovanni Maisto Ferreira is an artist exploring various types of media to highlight a deeply personal perception of our contemporary society and its dysfunctions. His creative process is mainly translated into 3D objects, spatial design and performance. Giovanni studied at the School of Visual Arts in New York and the Willem de Kooning Academy in Rotterdam. He has previously worked with Het Nieuwe Instituut for the exhibition G/D THYSELF.

De Kunstavond Radio is hosted by the six Kunstblock institutes, and artists, curators and art world participants are invited to take part. The six Kunstblock art institutes in the Rotterdam Art Quarter are: Kunstinstituut Melly, CBK Rotterdam, MAMA, V2_, WORM, and TENT.