The Skin of Your Ass

With Heather Berg, Jennifer Lyon Bell and Michael Portnoy

4 November 2021

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Panel conversation moderated by Sara Janssen //

Sex is everywhere. And yet, weirdly, it remains a social taboo – all the more so when it comes to sex that is non-heterosexual, non-monogamous, casual, kinky, filmed, or transactional. In this panel we will discuss the social perception and (un)acceptance of sexuality, nudity and pornography.

How can pornography be a liberating expression of individual identity? How can pornography become art, and vice versa? What are the business models of commercial websites and social media platforms on which these sexual expressions – whether mainstream or alternative – manifest themselves? What are the policies of the various platforms? What alternative spaces and websites are there out there, and what is their vision? How do people who work with or in pornography see their profession and position in society? How has the landscape evolved over recent years and how does the current landscape of online bodies, nudity and pornography inform and influence the way (younger) generations understand intimacy?

These are some of the many questions that we will discuss with Heather Berg, Jennifer Lyon Bell and Michael Portnoy. Heather Berg is Assistant Professor of Women, Gender & Sexuality Studies at Washington University St. Louis. In her recently published book Porn Work, she explores porn workers’ strategies for navigating—and subverting—precarity. Jennifer Lyon Bell of Blue Artichoke Films is an erotic film director/producer, curator, teacher, and writer. She is one of the early members of the feminist pornography movement and ethical porn movement. Michael Portnoy is an American visual artist, filmmaker, choreographer and performance artist. His film Progressive Touch, part of the IMPAKT Festival screening programme, combines explicit sex with dance, comedy and music.

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Heather Berg Jennifer Lyon Bell Michael Portnoy Sara Janssen

Heather Berg

― Speaker

Heather Berg writes about sex, work, and social struggle. Her first book, Porn Work (UNC Press, 2021), explores workers' strategies for navigating--and subverting--precarity. Heather is assistant professor of Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies at Washington University in St. Louis. You can find her at drheatherberg.com and at @drheatherberg on Twitter.

Jennifer Lyon Bell

― Speaker

With Blue Artichoke Films (Amsterdam), Jennifer Lyon Bell creates award-winning erotic fiction films, documentaries, and virtual reality experiences that illuminate the riveting, intimate, and sometimes delightfully awkward side of sex. Their unique realism leads them to be featured at conferences/panels worldwide in diverse fields ranging from sexology to philosophy. Jennifer also curates erotic film exhibitions for museums and festivals, and consults on sexuality for international TV and film. She teaches her popular workshop “From Fantasy To Film: Design Your Own Erotic Movie” worldwide. “As an alternative, independent, ethical porn filmmaker, I can speak to why I chose this career, why I think alternative sexual representations have tremendous value, and the different types of alternative porn that I currently see. I can also speak to how Blue Artichoke Films has dealt with the rise of free online porn, specifically by trying to add value by creating a sex-positive community that bridges the digital and “real” spheres.”

Michael Portnoy

― Speaker

Michael Portnoy is a New York-based multimedia artist. Coming from a background in dance and experimental comedy, his performance-based work employs a variety of media: from film and participatory installations to theater, sculpture, writing, painting, and curation. He has presented internationally in museums, art galleries, film festivals and theaters, including recently Steirischer Herbst, Graz, Austria (2019 & 2018); Akademie der Künste der Welte, Cologne, Germany (2017); KW Institute for Contemporary Art, Berlin, Germany (2017); Playground, STUK, Leuven, Belgium (2016, 2014); Liverpool Biennial, Liverpool, UK (2016); Witte de With, Rotterdam, the Netherlands (2016); the Centre Pompidou, Paris, France (2015); Stedelijk Museum, Amsterdam, the Netherlands (2014); Palais de Tokyo, Paris, France (2013); The Kitchen, New York, USA (2013); dOCUMENTA 13, Kassel, Germany (2012); 11th Baltic Triennial (co-curator), Vilnius, Lithuania (2012); and the Taipei Biennial, Taipei, Taiwan (2010). He is a visiting professor at Malmö Art Academy. For more information visit: strangergames.com

Sara Janssen

Sara Janssen is a lecturer in Media Studies at the University of Amsterdam with an expertise in gender and sexuality. She is particularly interested in the relationship between the body and the screen. Her recent research focuses on the cinematic aesthetics of feminist and queer pornography.

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Festival 2021