(ETX Daily Up) – In Lyon, the video of an artistic performance sparked controversy because of its alleged sexual nature. If it is indeed a question of nudity for the artists of the company in question, their approach is quite different, since it celebrates a militant and spiritual movement known as “ecosexuality”. We explain what it is.
On June 13, the ecologist mayor of Lyon Grégory Doucet found himself under fire from critics when his town hall plans to pay a grant of 1,500 euros to the artistic company Lundy Grandpré. The company in question was accused of exhibitionism after the publication of a video on Twitter of one of its performances by the mayor of the 2ᵉ arrondissement of Lyon Pierre Olivier (Les Républicains), in which he accuses Grégory Doucet of “financing naked individuals in a garden with sex toys, in front of children”. As the France Info site pointed out the day after this tweet, the performance in question was filmed more than two years ago, was not designed for children and, although it shows a naked man in a garden, does not contain a scene of a sexual nature. But the damage is done: the controversy has grown to such an extent that the artists of Lundy Grandpre were forced to cancel several performances scheduled for last weekend in Lyon, as explained in this press release.
Reduced to a pornographic presence in bad taste by its detractors, the performance by Lundy Grandpre actually advocates a philosophical and militant movement born in the early 2000s: ecosexuality. Founded in 2008 by American artists Elizabeth Stephens and Annie Sprinkle, ecosexuality (or ecosex) claims to be part of ecofeminism, queer culture and body art. One of the key precepts of this movement? Abandon the metaphor of “Mother Earth” to transform it into “Loving Earth”. “We want to inspire people to develop a more mutual, enjoyable, sustainable and less destructive relationship with the environment,” the founders explain in their manifesto. The idea is quite simple to grasp: treat the planet with the same respect, the same consideration and the same love as we would with the person who shares our daily life. “Tell him you love him”. “Ask her what she likes, what she wants and what she needs”. “Taste it, smell it”. “If you see her mistreated, abused, raped, exploited, protect her as best you can”, can we for example read in the list of “25 ways to make love to the planet” written by the co- founders of the movement.
At the crossroads of Epicurus’ philosophy and ecological activism, ecosexuality therefore explores the interactions between sex and love of nature, and questions the anthropic relationship that we have with the Earth and the sensations that it can give us. provide: masturbate in contact with water, bury yourself naked in the sand, become one with a tree… An original and uninhibited approach that is reminiscent of other movements inviting to connect our body to the earth through our sensory receptors. This is particularly the case of earthing, which consists of recharging one’s batteries thanks to the natural energy of the Earth that one can capture with one’s body (for example by walking barefoot on the grass). Or even that of “nude gardening” which, as its name suggests, encourages gardening naked to be one or one with nature!