Photo: Jamie MacDonald

T4T4U performance is part of URB 23 festival, Tom of Finland and Dreamy exhibition programme at Kiasma.

Performance and choreography: Jamie MacDonald, Hasard le Sin, Kauri Sorvari
Concept: Jamie MacDonald

After decades of societal shift, you are being gazed at and openly cruised by the images in the Tom of Finland exhibition at Kiasma. A trans man/masculine person enters the space with a boombox. Among now-celebrated images of cis homosexual muscled and kinky masculinity, they provide a different image. They dance like a man, like a masculine person, like a trans masculine person, like a person of gender you
wouldn’t understand. These images don’t yet exist independently; they are still contingent on their relationship with what already (c)is. Sometimes his dance is for the audience, sometimes just for himself. They cruise – differently? – they look with pleasure and without shame; they recognise like for like. He is in the process of becoming celebrated and desired.

T4T or “trans for trans” appeared as an abbreviation on dating sites for trans people who wanted to meet other trans people. It can represent profound love and healing, and a breaking down of the priority of the cisgender gaze.

T4T4U is performed twice per day at the Tom of Finland exhibition (3rd floor). The audience can watch it as long as they wish.

15.6.2023 at 16–16.30

15.6.2023 at 18–18.30

16.6.2023 at 16–16.30

16.6.2023 at 18–18.30

17.6.2023 at 12–12.30

17.6.2023 at 14–14.30

Tickets: with a museum ticket