Framing denudation. Tensioning the nudity/dress apparatus on the concert outfits made by Fábia Bercsek for the musical performance of Laura Diaz (Teto Preto)

Abstract

This article aims to develop a philosophical reflection on the meanings of denudation based on a case study of the concert outfits designed by Fábia Bercsek for the performance of Laura Diaz, lead singer of the musical independent group Teto Preto. In dialogue with the discussions undertaken by Giorgio Agamben on nudity and Paul Zumthor’s notion of performance, we observe how clothing can be placed as an agent to frame and re-signify nudity in the performance context. As a corpus of analysis, we list three outfits used in scene and analyze their modeling, their dynamics and their meanings in relation to the body dressed-space-spectator triad, which we propose as an analytical model. As a result, we highlight the possibilities and political potential of Fábia Bercsek’s outfits, considering the modeling, the reading of gender and the tensioning of the nudity/dress apparatus.