Gessnerallee
Zürich

«Als Mann - egal wie des machst, machstes verkehrt.» (As a man – whatever ya do, ya do it wrong.) is a pearl of wisdom that «Voll Assi Toni» shares in his YouTube video while lying on the sofa with his well-toned naked torso. We are not thinking of him, obviously, when we think of New Masculinity. Nevertheless: Dancing the male gender role today is a pretty complicated affair: on the one hand, one is expected to critically reflect on one’s own gender role and to consequently act and speak in a respectful, modest and reflected manner. On the other hand: not so at the disco, not while flirting. In certain situations we have to unpack the gorilla costume, otherwise you end up sad and lonely in some corner. Or are we being mislead?

Based on Michel Foucault and Judith Butler who understand sexuality as a problem of power and gender roles as performative respectively, Stephan Stock and Christopher Kriese confront social theory with the field of the pickup-community in which they immerse themselves. In this piece they are looking for the political in our society in an honest and personal way.

In a glitzy dating seminar Stephan Stock and Christopher Kriese offer their bodies and stories and let the genders role. And with them we learn how to systematically seduce countless women. This piece premiered in March 2014 and has been renewed due to its great success.