Sexodus

In SEXODUS, we see an actress on the threshold of her 40s. She knows: if she wants to stay in the Western world, she must continue to look like she is twenty-four until she is sixty. So she tries to adapt. Again. And again.

Her body bears the marks of centuries of aesthetic oppression. What began as moving along turns into resistance. In a rousing revenge fantasy, she takes the weapons of art, entertainment industry and social media into her own hands. Using fashion, live video and music, she engages in a final battle with a world-class system that thrives on female insecurity. Hoping that when the rage has blown out, she can get a glimpse of what lies beyond.

SEXODUS offers an honest look into the female mind and shows how a woman's body is shaped, used and claimed back.

"How I get through the next 90 minutes defines who I'm going to be for the rest of my life."

SEXODUS is a physical rollercoaster in which Naomi Velissariou transforms into a storm of female imagery, under the careful direction of Nicole Beutler. The ruthless language of Bregje

Hofstede and Naomi Velissariou is supported by the sly sound design and sleek imagery of performance collective URLAND, which taps into references from pop culture, history and art. All this is visually underlined by artist Ülkühan Akgül's challenging costume design. This teamwork results in a "one woman show" that is as multiform as the woman herself.

Watch:

SEXODUS is an English-language performance with NL and ENG surtitles. A stroboscope and smoke machine are used during the performance. There is explicit nudity. The performance contains themes around body image, self-criticism and distorted body perception.