Exhibition and programs

“When times are good, eroticism is what converts the mundane into magic. When times are tough, eroticism is what inspires us to survive, and even to thrive, despite all odds.” —Esther Perel

COME ALIVE celebrates eroticism as a life force in these precarious times. Through touch, image, scent, sound, performance and play, more than 45 artists pull out all the stops to give our bodies a voice as the first and most important gatekeeper. Sharing “love without reason” in all its abundance allows new insights and helps us to unlearn inherited behaviours. In the old melting room of the Nieuwe Muntgebouw in Utrecht, Netherlands, where once rock-hard coins were minted, everything becomes fluid this summer.

Vitality and precarity may appear to be opposites, but they are in fact two sides of the same coin. Moments of crisis and scarcity are much more bearable when we are close to each other. The most trying times bring people together and make us recognize what really matters. Eroticism is about connection, it is capable of reshaping entire societies, and that is precisely why it is so often regulated by authoritarian regimes. 

We don’t have to accept external controls, we have within us everything we need to create alternatives. We only need to remind ourselves to be playful again, to push our boundaries and discover new worlds. The magic of sensual play with the unexpected other is what makes us feel alive.

COME ALIVE invites you to unbox your sexuality, discard your preconceptions and make space for new possibilities. By stepping inside the halls Vibrate, Embrace, Extend and Climax you are granted permission to experience new forms of pleasure. Let your body react to the scents, sights and sounds. This manifestation is an invitation to curiosity where you can explore without fear of judgement, letting yourself move and be moved within the exhibition.

Visit here for the trailer video. Check out the complete event, workshop and performance programme on our website.

Participating artists in COME ALIVE include:AES + F, Alice Heron, Alix Marie, Angel-Rose Oedit-Doebé, Annie Sprinkle & Beth Stephens, Annika Kappner, Bas Kosters, Chang Gao, Company New Heroes, Danielle-Brathwaite Shirley, Eli Joteva, Ernesto Neto, Esther Arribas, Frank Bloem, Geoffrey Lillemon, Hsin Min Chan, Hyenaz, Inge & Martin Riebeek, Jan Koen Lomans, Jesse Jones, Johan Grimonprez, Joyce Overheul, Laura A Dima, melanie bonajo & SKINSHIP, Mette Sterre, Margriet van Breevoort, Naomi Rincón Gallardo, ORGIE, Oscar Peters, Pauline Curnier Jardin, Samantha Nye, Sophie Calle, sWitches, The Army of Love, Viktoria Kova, Wafae Ahalouch el Keriasti, Yamuna Forzani, Zoï Tatopoulos and more.

International Media Manager, Martine Willekens, martine [​at​] come-alive.nl.