Who Am I Without You Mister Man?

How did you decide to use your own body as an avatar for your research? 

I did a minor in performance at KASK, and with that, I realised that there is a lot of research that can be done with your own body. I wanted to research the tension in experiencing what I was capturing. Documentary work usually teaches you to stay hidden behind the camera and to observe without interfering, but I wanted to break through that a bit. 

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What did you discover about male-dominated spaces that you hadn’t noticed in your daily life?

I found these spaces by asking male friends or conducting simple Google searches asking ‘where do only men go?’ and also from my everyday observations - places that I instinctively avoided, like certain cafés, construction sites or even golf courses. I already felt alien in those spaces. Even before undressing for the project, I felt like I was being intrusive. But the reactions varied widely - some men, despite being taken aback by me, were curious, welcoming or found it funny, while others were uncomfortable and hostile. I concluded that these spaces are so tightly maintained as male spaces, but I hadn’t realised how deeply ingrained that was. Despite somewhat expecting it, I’ve always wanted to avoid polarising men and women too much, but it felt very real. 

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Did the camera play a role in their reaction as well? 

Of course, being recorded in any kind of way changes the dynamic. The camera has a lot of presence and a sort of agency. It felt like a protector; it was the only power and control I had in the situation, and I would have generally felt less safe without it. I was very clear about consent, so I asked everyone if they were comfortable being photographed. Most were fine with it; it was just a matter of them getting used to it, so that’s also one of the reasons why I stood there for a long time. It was important for me to give them the choice to work with me because this isn’t an exposé; it’s about communicating with these men. 

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How did themes like vulnerability and healing intersect in your interactions during the project?

I notice there's a big difference between dressing how I like - in short skirts, with makeup and feeling free, versus how I felt during this project. I stripped away all the elements that make me feel attractive: no makeup, no jewellery, etc. I felt very vulnerable. I wanted to avoid being like a doll standing there, so my interactions, appearance and the garments I chose had to be as neutral as possible. At times, seduction can feel powerful or even like a form of protection. Doing this also helped me with healing because I wanted the courage to create space for communication with men. I don’t want to take their space. I want to confront them with the female body in their space.

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There are non-complementary bodies of work that I presented in the project, which were made to show a more vulnerable element. That was important because I feel like female artists get a lot of commentary about being emotional beings. You see in the series that I am more daring and ‘neutral’, but it wasn’t meant to say ‘look how bold and fearless I am.’ I included the other body of work because it’s important for me that women can tell their raw stories and come out with them despite the pressures in the art field. I hope this project can help both men and women. 

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What have you discovered so far in your attempt at reclaiming the gaze? 

I am still in the process of discovery, so I’d like to leave this open. But at first, it was a lot about taking away attractive traits, putting the body there and having control of the camera to break down this patriarchal gaze. I chose to wear shorts and a rectangle top to avoid playing into the image of the ‘sexy’ and ‘emotional’ woman - I didn’t want to be masculine or feminine. I also wanted to include observers in the dynamic as they watch the interaction. I’ve discovered that a lot of men don’t want to connect with the female experience - yet some do, but feel alienated and confused by their position in these spaces, so they don’t know how to reach out. So I learned that, despite not fully overcoming the fear, these men can in fact be spoken to, and I can approach them with more confidence than before. 

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Given that you studied such intimate themes, how did your studies at KASK help you navigate this research? 

I appreciated the minors at KASK. They gave me an opportunity to choose something connected to my practice, yet totally different. As I mentioned earlier, my minor in performance inspired me to come up with this project. The school has a large library and a lot of theoretical courses with a variety of artists’ texts and a range of themes from activism to philosophy, where I found so much motivation and help with my research. 

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<div class="editorial-banner"> <div class=“editorial-credits”> @lottemaesss<br/><br>Different Class and KASK & Conservatorium are teaming up for a series of artist portraits, featuring some of the interesting alumni and student profiles. The new academic year starts on 22.09.2025. Students can register till the end of September.<br/> schoolofartsgent.be</div></div>