Nowhere 2017

23-07-2017

There’s an event that’s been happening in the United States since the mid- 80’s and, already in the 90’s, reached international proportions. Today, it congregates 70k people for a summer week in the middle of the Nevada desert: the Burning Man.

In this event, there are performances, rituals and artistic expressions born from the self-organized assistants, under the only authority of the Organization that looks over the security and stability of the event itself. The resonance of this gathering is global, and getting yourself a ticket is very hard since they’re limited to avoid trouble with the State authority.

Inspired by this event, at the beginning of the 2000’s some European participants decided to organize something alike in Europe, thus the Nowhere event took shape during a week of July at the Monegros desert, close to Zaragoza, Spain. It’s much modest scale receives, however, the same spirit of experimentation, horizontal community, party, and creativity.

The assistants come both as free campers or as “Barrio” members. Each “Barrio” has its own distinctive purpose, whether it is yoga practicing, bouncing beds, light sculptures, a church organ in the middle of the sands, party without end throughout the night with music, flames, and acrobats, or sexuality exploration and self-knowledge workshops.

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I wanted to tell you that I decided to take a portion of the Bodysex to the desert, and I had to face the tension that is already usual in my just before giving it. It was a Saturday morning, after an apocalyptic sunrise of rain and mud that had left the camp soaked, as well as the dome where I was going to give it. My fears made me wish it canceled as impossible, before facing the stress test that this ritual carries always for me.

But the dome was dried and cleaned when, magically, all the women who had come to take part gave their hands to make it possible. So I had no escape.

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It’s worth mentioning that, just the day before, I participated in an awesome workshop about “looking into your own cervix” facilitated by Monique.
Many of the same assistants participated in the Bodysex just the day after. Surprisingly, as soon as the workshop started, those women who had already studied their vulvas and even their cervixes, felt deeply moved when flowing from the scientific observation of their genitalia to a ritual of sharing the emotions it holds.
By the way, looking at the cervix neck with a speculum is something I really recommend to every woman. Thank you, Monique!
But there was not only Bodysex. Each day in the morning, after breakfast, a mix masturbation practice was held. On Wednesday, the facilitator didn’t show up, and I was asked if I could facilitate. From that experience, I took a huge learning.

First to remark is that it was a mixed workshop unless the masturbation one I usually facilitate and that is for women only. When men started sharing, I realized that they actually had the same “issues” than us, and the only difference is that when masturbating their genitalia is outwards instead of inwards. They had complete access to their penises since childhood, and they had been less socially punished for that. But many of the sentences that come up in the Bodysex came here too.

Another detail is that men tend to masturbate and get orgasms since childhood, but being an easy achievement for them they tend to learn to make it in a single, mechanical way. It was very instructive.

It’s a wonderful thing to live in a sex positive space, where everybody feels taken care of, where people can express their desires freely, even shout them out, without feeling threatened in any way.

Aunque el proyecto de BreadAndSex ya no lo mantengo activo, este cotenido continúa online porque quiero que puedas seguir consultándolo siempre que quieras.

Todo mi trabajo lo desarrollo ahora en almudenamferrer.com