The Pleasure Patchwork is project that explores touch and receptivity. A collaboration between myself a Dancer and the Sculptor, Katharina Krenkel. Together we are growing a blanket, an interactive soft sculpture made of reversible cocks and invaginated forms. Through the process of making, improvising with these worm-like forms, I am asking through dance, movement and touch, how much it's possible to feel in the doing?... In acts that are familiar, improvised and unknown, I am wondering what pleasure people know. What pleasure's we imagine. When is it that we block pleasure and what could it pleasure be good for?
In 2023 and with support from Dis-Tanz Solo Fund and Dackverband Deutschland Katharina has been crocheting the Pleasure Patchwork pieces and I have been dancing with them; creating new choreography and hosting dance workshops that invite participants to move with the worms, explore pleasure and collectively cultivate a sensorial language of touch.
Eventually, Katharina and I will exhibit the Pleasure Patchwork, together with performances that will weave in what we have learnt about pleasure, movement and touch.
Drawings and designs by Rosalind Holgate Smith
You are invited to take part in this project by
Attending a workshop
Workshops involve guided explorations in movement and touch to cultivate receptivity and a sense of listening through the skin. The skin opens the doorway to feel the whole body and as we experiment in gesturing out to the world we will explore how much we can feel in movement and action. You will also be invited to dive into questions and conversations about pleasure. Through writing and sometimes audio recording we will document, and archive our experiences that may feature in our later exhibits.
If you have a group and would like to book a workshop please get in touch to arrange: rosalindholgatesmith@gmail.com
Crocheting a piece of the blanket...
If you know how to crochet or would like to make your piece of the patchwork at home, we will send you Pleasure Kit in the post. For €30 your pack will include the wool (you can choose from a selection of skin colours), a crochet hook, instruction pattern and your pleasure interview. We ask you to post this back to us when you have completed your part. We also have a number of videos and online resources to support you in the making that you can access on this page or via our instagram.
Thank you!
How to begin to crochet you piece of the pleasure patchwork....
Photography and crochet models by Katharina Krenkel