When you stand before the Chiesetta della Misericordia, which borders one of Venice's many canals, nothing prepares you for what awaits inside: the cold, grey stone gives way to a colorful patchwork "carpet-seats," inviting visitors to relax while the film is being shown. When the body says Yes by Dutch artist Melanie Bonajo. This immersive video installation, which they are presenting at the Venice Biennale, is a rendering of their ongoing research on the role of touch in the creation of intimacies within societies where loneliness is amplified and relationships are built at a distance. 

This work is a continuation of the artist's practice as a body-oriented sexologist and educator, who, since 2014, has been creating documentaries presented within welcoming scenographies, often designed in collaboration with Théo Demans. In each of these films, they give voice to vulnerable or marginalized groups, highlighting their experience of the world, their bodies, and relationships in light of the ambivalence of technological advancements. While observing a growing sense of alienation at a time when the sense of belonging is steadily eroding, Melanie Bonajo does not advocate a return to a better "before." On the contrary, her works are nuanced reflections and models that we can choose to replicate, or not, to collectively reinvest ourselves and foster well-being. 

https://www.instagram.com/melanie_bonajo

Flora Fettah