THE red door was as red as the cherry on top of an ice cream sundae. The shade was the perfect visualization of what it tried to contain. Inside was a conundrum; hearts beating fast, pupils dilating, cheeks were blushing and heat was building up. Excitement, it was said, was only the first phase.
Last July 28, White Brick, a boutique creative studio, gathered together 13 artists to open an exhibition entitled “The Red Room: Erotica Exhibit.” The exhibit had the four phases of sex as its theme which are the sexual response cycle first penned by Masters and Johnson in 1966 in their explanation of the Psychobiology of Sex. The first phase is excitement, followed by plateau, then climax and then resolution.
“It’s called The Red Room because the whole four phases is actually the intensity of the experience. You have excitement where you start to blush; you start turning pink, it’s like the genesis of a new love. Then you have plateau which is almost like you’re racing for the same thing so you see the intensity go up. The color starts to be more than blush. It’s almost crimson you want to be in that hard part. Then when you hit that, it’s almost like a strong flash, it doesn’t last so long but you know you’ve gotten there and then resolution is just a small dip to the light. It’s just like fragments of the small love you’ve already felt,” said Katrina Paula Tan Codera, an intern in White Brick and one of the brains behind the whole concept.
As one goes deeper into the art exhibit contained in a seemingly hidden room with a red door, sensations are felt by understanding the visual interpretations of excitement, plateau, climax and resolution.
That night, a program was held where poems about lust, sex and love were read out loud. A short tutorial on how to do Shibari was also held where the art of bondage was appreciated. Topics seen as taboo in Philippine society were openly discussed. Merchandise meant to add excitement to the deed were up for sale and even a game called the moaning maze was available for guests to play. People were free even just for one night with no judgments; just conversations and open minds.
Going deeper into the red room, artworks will lead one to the second floor where things get more intense as it starts to plateau leading to climax.
Alexa Crisostomo’s Carnal Colors perfectly visualized the colorful emotions felt during sex. “I wanted the video to show the feelings you have when you’re having sex because there are lots of emotions and sensations there,” said Alexa of White Brick.
Being a fan of Erika Lust, Alexa wanted to show tasteful adult films. “I usually do nude photography. This was the first time I did video and I was inspired by her [Erika Lust] work because she wants to show the sexuality of women. This is not often shown, nor discussed especially in the Philippines. We don’t openly talk about women’s sexuality. It’s often judged. So, I wanted to make an erotic video that’s not very loud but tasteful and will show that women are also sexual and not all domesticated,” said Alexa.
Beside the computer screen where Carnal Colors was played on repeat, an installation by Stephanie Tudtud stood out with neon colors scattered all over. The artwork was called Tinderella’s Bedroom.
“The installation is about the current culture of dating with the use of technology,” said Stephanie, one of the co-founders of White Brick.
The installation talks of a girl who goes on Tinder to date and the whole output shows the last phase, which is resolution, “The glowing condoms are the used condoms of her Tinder dates and then the scenery is about the after-sex moments. I wanted to use blacklight to emphasize the different Items that are involved; underwear, a Gatorade bottle, cigarette. And since it’s Tinderella’s bedroom, I placed a left slipper on the floor—left, because she’s always left behind and she has never met the right one,” said Stephanie.
A story about what transpired in that bed scene is narrated over the speaker beside the bed to allow the relatable story of Tinderella to be heard. On the wall was written: “No promises of love. No feelings of guilt nor infatuation. It was an anonymous emotion. It just was and that was worse,” written by Anonymous, a lady artist who doesn’t want to be named.
The exhibit was by-invite only and merely lasted for a night—similar to many modern relationships. The 13 artists who helped bring the exhibit to life were Paolo Perez, Miciel Abalos, Benedict Climaco, Nahum Archival, Celina Paredes, Mico Acaso, Stephanie Tudtud, Pykee, Kay Aransanzo, Alexa Crisostomo, Jan Sunday, Anonymous and Ara Chawdhury.