SIYU AWARD
SIYU AWARD

Inès Riber
Pleasure Boys

“Pleasure Boys” explores the world of male striptease and its performance of masculinity. In collaboration with the UK Pleasure Boys troupe, the project examines the tension between virility and vulnerability. By examining the dancers routines, I aim to question how intimacy and the male body are perceived in a context where exposure becomes a tool of control.
The project stems from earlier research into the aestheticization of the female body and its societal implications. Here, I turn my attention to the seductive, high-perfomance male body—viewed from a different angle. Unlike the long-established tradition of female striptease, male striptease is a more recent phenomenon that raises its own set of questions. While the male body is offered to the viewer, the performer often maintains power over the spectator, particularly women. Shows by male striptease troupes, such as the Chippendales rely on hypermasculine archetypes—police officers, firefighters, businessmen—using these personas to assert control through familiar codes of dominance.

My name is Inès, I’m 22 years old, and I’m currently studying photography at the École Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne (ECAL). Growing up in a multicultural family and community, I’ve always been drawn to people—their stories, identities, and the connections that form between us. My passion for building meaningful relationships has deeply influenced my creative practice, which first began through dance.
When I started photography four years ago, I was instinctively drawn to portraiture and storytelling. The camera soon became a tool for exploration and exchange—a way to navigate unfamiliar environments, discover new practices, and engage with different cultures. My work seeks to capture and share the intimate, fleeting moments that exist within these encounters. One quote that resonates deeply with my visioncomes from Susan Sontag’s On Photography: “To collect photographs is to collect the world.” Through my images, I try not only to collect fragments of stories, but to honor and give back to the people and experiences behind them. The project I’m sharing with you here emerged from a spontaneous investigation into the performance of gender and the history of erotic dancing. What began as a curious research process soon turned into a powerful and unexpected collaboration—one that challenged my perspective and expanded my understanding of representation and intimacy.

Inès Riber
Pleasure Boys

“Pleasure Boys” explores the world of male striptease and its performance of masculinity. In collaboration with the UK Pleasure Boys troupe, the project examines the tension between virility and vulnerability. By examining the dancers routines, I aim to question how intimacy and the male body are perceived in a context where exposure becomes a tool of control.
The project stems from earlier research into the aestheticization of the female body and its societal implications. Here, I turn my attention to the seductive, high-perfomance male body—viewed from a different angle. Unlike the long-established tradition of female striptease, male striptease is a more recent phenomenon that raises its own set of questions. While the male body is offered to the viewer, the performer often maintains power over the spectator, particularly women. Shows by male striptease troupes, such as the Chippendales rely on hypermasculine archetypes—police officers, firefighters, businessmen—using these personas to assert control through familiar codes of dominance.

My name is Inès, I’m 22 years old, and I’m currently studying photography at the École Cantonale d’Art de Lausanne (ECAL). Growing up in a multicultural family and community, I’ve always been drawn to people—their stories, identities, and the connections that form between us. My passion for building meaningful relationships has deeply influenced my creative practice, which first began through dance.
When I started photography four years ago, I was instinctively drawn to portraiture and storytelling. The camera soon became a tool for exploration and exchange—a way to navigate unfamiliar environments, discover new practices, and engage with different cultures. My work seeks to capture and share the intimate, fleeting moments that exist within these encounters. One quote that resonates deeply with my visioncomes from Susan Sontag’s On Photography: “To collect photographs is to collect the world.” Through my images, I try not only to collect fragments of stories, but to honor and give back to the people and experiences behind them. The project I’m sharing with you here emerged from a spontaneous investigation into the performance of gender and the history of erotic dancing. What began as a curious research process soon turned into a powerful and unexpected collaboration—one that challenged my perspective and expanded my understanding of representation and intimacy.