Silent Sister’s ‘Flesh Spa’ Captures the Primal, Tactile Experience of the Art Gallery

Xav Langton and Gabrielle Lenhard, have collaborated on a new immersive art experiences that challenge traditional gallery norms to explore the depths of the human experience. We got a chance to sit with the two curators to explore some sinister serenity and the primal experiences they create.

Flesh Spa is such an evocative name. What does it symbolize for each of you—and how does it reflect the themes of the exhibition?

Xav- Each one of our shows are based out of contrast and the Eastern philosophy that duality is an illusion.  The title 'Flesh Spa' to me indicates a sinister serenity.  A serenity that comes with a sort of price or consequence that is unknown.  I think the title reflects how the pieces in the show investigate how engaging with the brutalities of life can lead you to some other realm. 

Gabi- The phrase ‘Flesh Spa’ captures the primal, tactile experience that we’re trying to achieve.The words also rub against one another in a way that feels representative of the duality the artwork is capturing; that space of interaction between stress and relaxation.

What inspired this particular show? Was there a moment or conversation that sparked the idea?

Xav-  I had a particularly stressful summer in 2024 for a variety of reasons.  I decided to go to this spa hotel Shutters on the Beach in Santa Monica for a long weekend.  For three days I had massage treatments that were quite painful but put me in a state of deep tranquility. I thought it was interesting that I had so quickly gone from a state of extreme stress to extreme relaxation.  The show was sort of born in that moment.

I was aesthetically inspired by the cenobites from Hellraiser.  Entities who have lost the ability to differentiate between pleasure and pain.  I had this image in my head of a cenobite giving a massage.  I just thought that was a funny image and worth exploring conceptually.  The ‘Spa’ scene in Zoolander might have been an influence too haha.

“I’d like to dismantle the expectation that there should be rules at all.”

You’ve both been known to push beyond the white-wall expectations of traditional galleries. How does Flesh Spa challenge those norms?

Xav- I think a big part of this show is also about embracing the transient and fleeting nature of life.  This is a one night experiential show that will never happen again, ever. Hopefully the ephemeral temperament of how we do things is something that makes us stand apart. 

Gabi-The artwork in this show reaches out for the hands of viewers to both figuratively and literally pull them into new spaces, experiences, and perspectives. We have several interactive installation pieces and performance artists scheduled throughout the evening. In this way, I think the immersive nature of Flesh Spa stands out. Additionally, it provides space for artists to explore crevices of existence that are both dark and deeply personal without inhibition. In a word, Flesh Spa is unbridled. 

Were there any artists or works that surprised you—or changed the shape of the show entirely?

Xav- Mike Petrows' video piece 'New Age Dread'.  I was surprised by how perfectly it navigates the essence of what we're trying to capture.  If there is a spa in Hell, this would be playing in the waiting room. 

Gabi- When we were introduced to the photographic work of Maria La Sangre, it really encapsulated the themes and aesthetic of the show, without us having to guide it. That felt absolutely necessary to include as something that ties everything else in the show together.

The show explores the “depths of human experience.” Can you share what emotional or sensual landscapes you're inviting guests to traverse?

Gabi- We’re inviting folks to dive into the heavy end of both serenity and chaos and most importantly, the place of tension where those feelings overlap. Maci Parker’s installation ‘Beauty Salon’, for example, creates a space that seems glossy and appealing upon first glance but grotesque on closer examination. Cecilia Nguyen’s photographic series ‘In The Light’ provides a window into the trust and intimacy two individuals share with the constraint and veil of leather in play.

What do you hope the audience walks away feeling or questioning after visiting Flesh Spa?

Xav- There are some moments in life where a gentle caress of something that seems ominous or foreboding , can lead to the awareness that we always have the ability to choose how to frame our sensations and feelings.  I hope that some people leave the show with the desire and excitement to face strenuous situations head on.

This exhibition feels tailor-made for a community like NSFW. What kinds of conversations or encounters do you hope to spark among sex-positive audiences?

Gabi- By presenting work that explores sexuality, with an open heart, I hope to both celebrate and normalize the diverse range of relationships and desires. Ideally the work fosters a safe environment, where viewers can speak about their own experiences and curiosities without fear of judgement. 

What’s one rule or expectation of the art world you're actively trying to dismantle with this work?

Gabi- I’d like to dismantle the expectation that there should be rules at all.

Xav Langton is a director and producer whose work explores the intersection of philosophy, embodiment, and human connection. His debut feature, The Shell (2020), is a meditative documentary that examines what it means to live in a physical body. His second feature, Permanent Dream, currently in post-production, is a philosophical surf film that explores impermanence through the lens of wave riding—a joyful, transient act. Filmed across Mexico, Morocco, Sri Lanka, and Indonesia, it stars pro surfers Victor Bernardo and Stevie. Langton loves to collaborate with distinctive creatives of all mediums as a way to cultivate genuine, authentic connection.

Gabrielle Lenhard is a filmmaker and mixed media artist working in Brooklyn and the Hudson Valley under the name Rude Ink. Find her work at rudeinkart.com or @rudeinkart.