Homme Nu Assis

by Daniel Guy

Le Centre Pompidou in Paris is the venue for this year’s Findus International Contemporary Art Prize, and as warm August afternoon sunshine beats down on the public square outside the gallery, journalists and crowds of curious tourists stand about. There’s a palpable buzz of excitement in the air. Inside the gallery, the world’s art critics are gathered, dressed as stylishly as they can, about to view for the first time the ten selected final entries for the award, while upstairs in a smoke-filled room the judges are still trying to reach a decision, for the winner is shortly to be announced. 

Everyone everywhere is talking about this year’s competition because of one particular work of art. The piece, titled ‘Homme Nu Assis’ has been described by a critic in The London Times as ‘…the most disgusting thing I have ever seen,’ while the front page of the Washington Post has a photograph of the work and above it the headline ‘Modern Art - In A Trash Bag Where It Belongs.’  The European Press have been scathing about the piece and critics have campaigned to exclude it from the competition declaring it too tasteless and offensive.

The creator of the piece, French artist 29 year old Filo Folie, currently living in Switzerland, was unknown until she exhibited the piece six months ago in a small gallery in London and the British media’s outrage finally brought Filo to the attention of the International Contemporary Art Scene. Since then some very strong opinions about this work have been broadcast, not least by people who have never seen it. Everyone hates or loves it so much they cannot stop talking about it.

La Grande Sallle of the Pompidou Centre is now open to the critics and press, and as they flood in, hardly anyone goes over to view the four bicycle wheels hanging from the ceiling by pieces of striped ribbon, or the neo-surrealist painting of three kittens playing with a ball of wool, or even the huge sculpture of a Christmas tree made from broken teapots and bubblewrap.  Instead the critics in their leather pants, their white suits and cravats pack tight six deep in a circle around a small white plinth three feet high. On it is  ‘Homme Nu Assis,’ the living sculpture which has been the cause of all the unparalleled heated controversy. 

Viewers at the front stand in awe, too shocked to be able offer any judgement, and when they have had enough they turn away, pushing their way back through the crowd sombrely, to let another critic nudge through and take their place.  It takes a minute or two, when the shock has waned, before the critics make up their minds and begin selecting their adjectives.  

But what is it that stirs them all to such extreme opinions of the work? It isn’t particularly original to have real humans forming part or all of a piece of art. One remembers the Dada and the Blue Man Group. But Filo’s work stands out in more ways than one for its audacity and originality. 

A naked male figure sits on a wooden stool, and a large pink dildo attached to the seat is lodged comfortably in his ass.  A clear plastic sack covers the male completely, hanging down to within a few inches of the plinth to allow air inside for him to breathe. The figure is in his mid-fifties, slim and smooth skinned, and he sits perfectly still, with his legs apart, his hands cuffed behind his back with gold-plated cuffs. He is wearing a bright purple bra, filled out with large artificial flesh coloured silicon breasts, and a wig, and strands of its long white hair fall down to his shoulders. He wears eyeliner and bright red lipstick and his mouth is filled with a red ball-gag. His penis is large and erect, and by all accounts has remained erect throughout the day. 

Ordinary people in the street have been debating how it is possible for a man to remain erect like that. 

It is clear the man is real and not made out of wax, for occasionally one catches sight of his large and well-shaped penis flicker for a moment, and if one looks hard one can just about see faint clouds of condensation appear on the inside of the plastic sack when he breathes out.  

The work holds a fascination for the viewer from every angle, but when the piece is seen from the front, one is able to observe clearly through the clear plastic sack the man’s expression. His eyes stare out at nothing, blinking only very occasionally, and his mouth hangs open. A bead of drool hangs on a thin line from his lower lip and his face is a haunting expression of vacant contentment. 

Journalists and critics are now walking out of the gallery into the sunshine and already they are typing and dictating their critique of the competition entries into their phones. The other nine finalists hardly get a mention. Homme Nu Assis is the piece they are all so keen to speak about.  

One critic is writing; “Filo’s masterpiece is a symbol of contemporary man, who in this modern world doesn’t know what he is any more, so he comforts himself with self destruction.”

Another is saying; “Homme Nu Assis forces us finally to talk about the biggest taboo of them all, which is sexual perversion and suicide. Good art makes people talk and Filo’s piece is in my view worthy of the award” 

A third shouts into her phone at a newspaper editor; “It’s magnificent. I could not take my eyes off it.”

Several weeks ago when the work was exhibited in Milan, the press claimed the model was suffering pain and humiliation and had to be taking drugs. 

The artist Filo was approached and she and the model, Daniel Guido gave an interview on Italian television where he stated clearly that he was enjoying every second of the experience and had never taken drugs in his life.

The artist explained that Daniel had been her slave and model for many years. He had kept his relationship with her secret to protect his wife and family and his business interests, but that now he was ready to sacrifice all that in order to serve his mistress as best he could.  

Sure enough the judges make their announcement, ‘Homme Nu Assis’ is awarded the prize, the people outside break into sniggers of laughter while inside the critics gasp with inauthentic shock. 

Filo is in her hotel room when she gets the call. Daniel is kneeling, head bowed on the floor beside her bed, wearing just a pair of blue nylon Adidas shorts and a black leather collar. The collar is attached to a lead of silver chain hooked at the other end to the bedpost. 

‘Well, Slave. We did it.’ 

Daniel looks up, stares up, his eyes vacant, his smile dreamy. 

‘Yes, mistress’ he says softly.

She smiles back at him and continues…

‘At the awards ceremony tonight, I shall have you on the leash, dressed as a rubber doll. I will be wearing my usual green coat, but I think I might wear the red latex skirt beneath. What do you think?’

‘Yes, mistress..’ 

Daniel Guy