Beatrice Favaretto: Body as Desire in The Pornographer and Miss Italia

Beatrice Favaretto (Venice, 1992), finalist of the first edition of Biennale College, recently completed a residency at Manifattura Tabacchi in Florence. Her practice explores the body as an indefinite form that dissolves in sound, color, and odors, shifting in the viewer's perception. In "The Pornographer" (2021), she documented a Berlin-based auteur porn set, creating a monstrous desire-machine through extreme close-ups that obscure recognition. The work involved a shocking immersion with strangers, revealing the humanity behind sexual representation. Favaretto collaborated with Emy Fem, a trans sex worker, director, and activist, whose ludic view of sexuality—including the possibility of hurt—influenced her. Her latest project, "Miss Italia," presented at Manifattura Tabacchi, focuses on Ludovica, a queer photographer and model. Over six months, they exchanged tasks via webcam, adapting Annie Sprinkle's post-porn manifesto to explore Ludovica's erotic universe. Favaretto aims to represent sexuality without filters, seeking an intermediary that allows subjects to show themselves freely. She is developing a series of erotic dialogues inspired by Amanda Lear's 1980s program "Ars Amanda," inviting people to discuss intimacy. She describes her language as a form of resistance, showing sexuality as communion and sociality, breaking personal and political barriers. The article was produced for the Critical Writing course at NABA.