Why this photographer wants everyone to kiss
A New Vision for Desire: Andrea Martí’s Intimate Portraits
Healfromzero.com – Beneath shimmering red decorations and within the warm, subdued illumination of a nightclub, six pairs of young lovers share tender moments. Each couple appears absorbed in their own private universe, eyes closed, bodies intertwined within a setting that feels suspended in time. The retro wooden architecture and atmospheric lighting create an image reminiscent of cinematic stills from an indeterminate era. For photographer Andrea Martí, who orchestrated this scene within a historic London nightlife venue, the objective was to capture genuine longing.
Exploring Modern Yearning
The photographs belong to Martí’s series titled “Everyone is Beautiful and No One is Horny,” a name borrowed from a 2021 essay that went viral discussing how contemporary blockbuster films feature increasingly flawless protagonists yet lack romantic tension. Martí explained her motivation during a video conversation: “Everyone has beautiful bodies in the media, but we’re seeing all these hot people and there’s no tension here.” She continued, noting that “There’s no desire, yearning, anything.” This creative project emerged from her graduate coursework at the University of the Arts London, where she spent the previous year developing her vision.
Her research consistently pointed toward studies indicating that Generation Z engages in less sexual activity, demonstrates reluctance toward traditional dating, and experiences greater isolation compared to earlier cohorts. Rather than making sweeping generalizations, Martí offered a nuanced perspective: “I don’t like to make general assumptions,” she stated. “I think some communities are more sexually open, but I think from my experience, there is a general sense of loneliness, and an inability to connect with other people.”
The Weight of Perpetual Optimization
According to Martí, one fundamental problem stems from what she describes as perpetual optimization. She elaborated: “Everyone wants to be tracking their calories and looking great and having successful careers and there’s no time for sensuality.” This observation became central to her artistic philosophy, which she characterizes as “sensualism as an ideology.” The concept draws inspiration from Marilyn Monroe viewed through the female gaze—a perspective that emphasizes emotional connection alongside physical beauty.
A Time Capsule Setting
The Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club provided the perfect backdrop for Martí’s vision. Once a traditional men’s social gathering space, the venue now hosts drag performances, burlesque shows, and disco events. Martí enlisted casting director Melisa Ozcolak to help locate participating couples, though she initially attempted to find participants independently through campus flyers and online postings. She deliberately avoided using professional actors after discovering that only older men responded to her digital casting calls, which outlined the day’s activities.
Using authentic couples brought an immediate sense of love and familiarity to the photographs. Nevertheless, complications arose—some participants unexpectedly ended their relationships. Martí recalled: “I was like, come out with your partner or your situationship, and some people canceled on the day of the shoot or a couple days before because they were no longer together.”
Capturing Eight Hours of Connection
Over an eight-hour session, Martí documented the couples who remained committed to attending. She captured them navigating stairwells, sharing passionate moments in doorways, and becoming lost in desire while surrounded by crimson lighting. The venue itself struck her as a living time capsule, featuring worn tile floors, a stage bordered by an oversized red heart, and festive tinsel decorating the walls. “It’s slightly disgusting,” she said with laughter. “I didn’t realize it had so much history, and it is such an iconic place.”
Martí’s visual storytelling embraces multiple layers of nostalgia. Her work incorporates 1960s fashion elements, references Tom Wood’s iconic 1980s photographs of teenagers at clubs, and draws upon her mother’s memories of evening outings. “I remember my mom talking to me a lot about how back in the day they would go clubbing and they would play slow music at the end of the night for people to slow dance,” she shared. “I think it was like trying to recreate that moment.”
“Everyone wants to be tracking their calories and looking great and having successful careers and there’s no time for sensuality,” she explained.
“I don’t like to make general assumptions,” she said. “I think some communities are more sexually open, but I think from my experience, there is a general sense of loneliness, and an inability to connect with other people.”