Intimacy as curiosity

To be intimate with someone is nothing but that: to make oneself familiar with them. The Latin intimare indicates, etymologically, this already. Over twelve years of teaching an intimate practice such as rope bondage, I have encountered a significant problem in this context. That which is familiar is considered close and it is this closeness, this proximity that seems to be widely understood as a precondition for the ability of making oneself familiar with one another. One could say that a very specific closeness to the subject is necessary, and any intimacy ceases to exist beyond a mysterious, undefined and yet demanded distance. This understanding of closeness as a precondition for intimacy is problematic on many levels, as it presumes not only so-called “able bodies” who can move closer to each other without barriers but also a natural hegemony of romantic love with its very specific codes and prescriptions of desire.

What if we take the call to make ourselves familiar with something or someone more literally and situate it in a seemingly different field of human endeavour? (From Georg Barkas. My year in researching intimacy. Hazlitt magazine. 2023)

Shibari/Kinbaku

Studio Allegory offers a wide range of educational programs revolving around kink, intimacy, and sexuality.

One of the main pillars of that education consists of Shibari/Kinbaku (rope bondage) as a practice that involves art, philosophy, bodywork, eroticism, and therapeutic aspects. The contents of this pillar are centered around the teachings of Georg Barkas but include other approaches as well.

People who wish to learn Shibari/Kinbaku are guided and instructed in building blocks designed for practitioners to choose their own paths within a multitude of approaches.

The following flowchart illustrates how a journey through Kinbaku looks like at Studio Allegory.

Kink

Another pillar of the educational program of Studio Allegory is kink in general, such as impact play, fetishes, or power exchange. These contents will be offered by a variety of kink educators. 

Further educational contents include movement practices, art programs, and life skills.