Treasure hunting in “The Sex Show”, Toronto
What a deception it was to attend to “The Sex Show” opening, on Thursday night, in the Gallery 1313 and find an established mainstream conventional -nearly dull- exhibition. Maybe it was too advanced to think that a sex show in the West End, in Toronto, in the XXI century, would really “push the boundaries of the definition of sex”. But their pamphlet is mistaken, and the art gallery is the space of no sexual possibilities.
Of course, not all the artists, not all the pieces. But the curator’s choice was basically one. The one. Phallocentric, white and heterosexual. And, they run out of wine during the opening! Not just because the performers had guzzled all the wine in order to lose their inhibitions. No, no disturbances. No uncomfortable zones.
Just to say: the only performers were in a bed in the middle of the art gallery, covered with a white immaculate sheet. After one hour they ‘got up’-wearing current casual underwear-, they got dressed and they joined the audience. Did we travel in the past Thursday night? Was it a high-school exhibition?
After visiting this show, the message of Gallery 1313 is clear. Sex is white, BDSM is the fantasy of men towards women, vaginas are waxed and of course after the age of 40 nobody has sex.
The only good news is that; if you go to “The Sex Show” you can become a treasure hunter and search for the artists that actually go beyond the curator’s vision. They exist. There are 4-5 pieces and they can inspire you.
The Sex Show – Feb 5-16 Gallery 1313
1313 Queen Street West Toronto, ON. M6K 1L8