ALBERTO TANDOI

Places of Sex ​

A while ago, while wandering through Soho, London, a handwritten fluorescent sign reading “MODELS” on the open door of a shabby building caught my attention one night. Soon, I began noticing similar signs scattered around Soho, anonymous signs on the doors of equally anonymous buildings. At that time, I didn’t know that sex work was legal in the UK. The idea that someone would post a sign to advertise an illegal activity seemed impossible. I didn’t immediately think of sex work, and the dingy buildings on which these signs were hung were far from what I would have pictured as places dedicated to sexual activity.

Not long before that, I had come across the story of E. J. Bellocq, a photographer who spent part of his life creating portraits of sex workers in Storyville, New Orleans. Storyville, spanning thirty-eight blocks, is considered one of the largest red-light districts in history, where sex work, still illegal in the USA, was tolerated. Active from 1897 to 1917, it is also celebrated as the birthplace of jazz.

An aura of mystery surrounds Bellocq’s work. In addition to his commercial photography, he created at least 89 portraits of sex workers. It remains unclear whether these images were commissioned by brothels or if they were part of a personal project. His work went unnoticed during his lifetime and was discovered accidentally years after his death by the renowned photographer Lee Friedlander. In 1966, Friedlander purchased Bellocq’s negatives from an antique book dealer in New Orleans, and today Bellocq’s work is preserved at the Museum of Modern Art in Manhattan.

Bellocq’s photographs offer a rare glimpse into the lives of sex workers of that era, documenting both the people and the interiors of brothels with a level of intimacy seldom seen. Inspired by his work, I became curious to explore similar spaces in the present day.

A little research revealed that sex work is legal in the UK, and that the establishments I had noticed in Soho were so-called walk-ups, offering a basic service of ten minutes. Of course, other services were available, but ten minutes was the standard. There is an intriguing story behind this “ten-minute rule”: Martha, a sex worker and the girlfriend of Gino Messina—a gangster controlling London sex flats in the early 20th century, claimed that Gino introduced the rule out of jealousy. As a man of Sicilian origin, he could not stand the thought of another man spending more time with the woman he loved than he could.

My curiosity led me to a larger project: documenting places dedicated to sex. I started in Soho with the walk-ups, but over time I expanded to include gay saunas, dungeons, brothels, swingers clubs, and even a few spaces difficult to classify. Navigating these locations was not always easy; on several occasions, I found myself in uncomfortable, if not slightly dangerous, situations. Throughout, I photographed only the empty spaces, leaving the human element out of my images.

Separately, I conducted a series of anonymous interviews with the inhabitants of these spaces: brothel owners and managers, sex workers, swingers club owners, dominatrices, masters, subs, and clients. Their stories offered a deeper understanding of the places I photographed, providing personal insights into lifestyles, desires, and perspectives on sex and sex work.

The distinctive aesthetics of these spaces inspired a second layer of work: colouring illustrations. This immersive colouring experience allows viewers to explore the graphical complexity of the venues, with a playful and witty undertone.

The project culminated in two complementary books. The first is a concertina-style colouring book, measuring 8 cm × 12 cm × 1.5 cm, housed in a box available in three colours. It features 20 photographs, each accompanied by three layered sheets of colouring illustrations. The second, titled “It Will Be Another Beautiful Day,” is a 170-page book of interviews, measuring 21.5 cm × 13.5 cm. Although both books are complete, they remain in their dummy stage.

Through this project, I sought to approach the subject of sex and sexual spaces with curiosity and neutrality, leaving judgment aside. My goal was to explore these worlds visually and narratively, allowing the spaces and their inhabitants to speak for themselves.