Genèse
The first collection of the project "Who’s That Nude In The Living Room?"
Idan Wizen talks about the place of aesthetics and modesty in society
Few words about this collection
"Beauty could be in other types of bodies: in men, in women, in older people, on curves, on lots of different things."
From the inception of the “Who’s That Nude in the Living Room?” project in 2009, Idan Wizen embarked on a profound exploration of aesthetics in our society. At that time, beauty was still largely dictated by retouched and idealized images of models in magazines. However, Wizen quickly discovered that true beauty lies in the diversity of bodies: men, women, the elderly, curvaceous figures, and many other forms.
The artist also delved into the concept of modesty. He observed a society oscillating between two extremes: an omnipresence of unsolicited pornography and a resurgence of puritanism, where the body was demonized and its display considered inappropriate.
In his reflection, Wizen sought to understand what truly attracts us to an individual when stripped of all socio-cultural contexts—no name, no age, no profession. What is it that fascinates us about a person and makes us want to have them in our space, in large format, to gaze at, admire, and most importantly, tell their story?
“Genesis” is the first collection of the “Who’s That Nude in the Living Room?” project, an ambitious artistic endeavor aiming to create the largest photographic series ever made, representing humanity in its most natural state—naked and diverse. This concept of photographic art seeks to gather thousands of volunteer models of all ages and social categories to form an immense gallery of portraits of contemporary men and women. These photographs, in their multitude, originality, dynamism, and naturalness, bear witness to universal human beauty, far beyond the restrictive socio-cultural and aesthetic criteria of our time.
From the inception of the “Who’s That Nude in the Living Room?” project in 2009, Idan Wizen embarked on a profound exploration of aesthetics in our society. At that time, beauty was still largely dictated by retouched and idealized images of models in magazines. However, Wizen quickly discovered that true beauty lies in the diversity of bodies: men, women, the elderly, curvaceous figures, and many other forms.
The artist also delved into the concept of modesty. He observed a society oscillating between two extremes: an omnipresence of unsolicited pornography and a resurgence of puritanism, where the body was demonized and its display considered inappropriate.
In his reflection, Wizen sought to understand what truly attracts us to an individual when stripped of all socio-cultural contexts—no name, no age, no profession. What is it that fascinates us about a person and makes us want to have them in our space, in large format, to gaze at, admire, and most importantly, tell their story?
“Genesis” is the first collection of the “Who’s That Nude in the Living Room?” project, an ambitious artistic endeavor aiming to create the largest photographic series ever made, representing humanity in its most natural state—naked and diverse. This concept of photographic art seeks to gather thousands of volunteer models of all ages and social categories to form an immense gallery of portraits of contemporary men and women. These photographs, in their multitude, originality, dynamism, and naturalness, bear witness to universal human beauty, far beyond the restrictive socio-cultural and aesthetic criteria of our time.
Genèse: The first series of the project
Genèse is a collection of the project “Who’s That Nude In The Living Room?”, a collection that respects the same principles as the others of the project. Namely, models who have never posed before (neither in photos, nor naked), they are not casted (everyone can come from the age of 18), and who come for a photo session, where we will keep only one photograph of each individual. There is no retouching, these are authentic photographs of each individual, they are meant to be made into works of art up to very large formats which are 80 x 120 cm, and to be exhibited, in exhibitions, as well as in private homes.
The Genèse series is the first series of the project. The name given to the collection evokes the birth of the idea and of the project. Started in 2009, it includes a hundred photographs, fifty of which are of women. It is characterized by its black background and its black & white shooting tinged with a deep red. A book bringing together all the photographs was published in 2010.
we were really stuck on a single body stereotype: retouched models
Genèse
2009/2010 – 100 artworks – C Print – Edition of 4 – unique on its size
Each photo is unique just like its model and never touched up. This inevitably challenges us and creates in us a curious feeling of closeness, of belonging. Because these models are all of us.
Feeling like being part of the project also?
Everyone is welcome. You can schedule a photosession in Paris