Feeld’s inaugural Mindf*ck, an expansive symposium on intimacy, identity, love, dating, relationships, and the like, arrived in Los Angeles to take over the Hammer Museum this week. With it came experts and philosophers like Dr. Orna Guralnik and Amia Srinivasan, writers including Miranda July and Tiq Milan, and creators and actors such as Kat Blaque, Richie Reseda, and Hannah Einbinder. 

Mindy Seu, a technologist, artist, designer, and performer, hosted the third installation of her ongoing series, DENIER, where she and her co-curators, Alice Scope and Haley Albert, invite others to share something along the lines of what might be considered a confession, spoken on a bed arranged in front of the audience. Against blush pink satin sheets, DENIER invited artists Lauren Lee Mack, Brontez Purnell, Angela Dimayug, Alicia Novella Vasquez, Max Saltarelli, Panteha Abareshi, Nora Berman, Nick Houde, Maja Malou Lyse, and Sophie Becker to perform.  

Below, Mindy takes FLAUNT along her Mindf*ck adventure, and answers some questions we had along the way. 

What are you most looking forward to at today’s Mindf*ck forum? Why do you think these types of events/conversations are important in today’s culture?

We need more of this! Spaces where we can explore intimacy in person—intellectually, somatically, and playfully. The landscape of intimacy is changing rapidly, and while there’s greater openness and more language to describe our experiences, it’s still a subject that needs to be actively unpacked and challenged.

Can you tell us a little about DENIER: where did the idea come from? What is its intention? What’s the most intense feeling you’ve ever had while performing it?

This is the third iteration of DENIER, an erotic salon co-hosted by @alicescope @haleyalbert and myself @mindyseu. We give our guest speakers very little instruction: “Tell an erotic confession. You have three minutes. Everyone must get on the bed.” That simple framework creates an incredible amount of tension, but the atmosphere remains playful, keeping the audience rapt. 

What rituals or routines do you practice before performing?

In my early 20s, I realized that nerves are simply my body’s way of telling me it’s alert and ready. That shift in perspective changed everything. Since then, I haven’t experienced stage fright. Throughout any performance, I feel energized throughout and experience a wonderful natural high afterward. 

What role has the city of LA played in the formation of digital culture? How will that role evolve in the future?

LA has always been a factory for fantasy and image-making, so it's no surprise that it helped shape how we perform ourselves online. 

Who is one person you never stop learning from? 

I love peer teaching and peer mentorship. The people I learn from most are my friends—they also happen to be brilliant scholars and artists.

Photographed by Alex Free and Mindy Seu.