@theretheirtheyreshow @ba.design.gold
18-22 JUNE 2026
Unit 8, 133 Copeland Rd, London, SE15 3SN
Unit 8, 133 Copeland Rd, London, SE15 3SN
Rotopia
Anna Zeng
This project originates from my long-term focus on the fujoshi (Rotten Girls) community—women who enjoy stories of male-male romance and intimacy, often referred to as BL (Boys’ Love). While male same-sex narratives have become widely visible and commercially successful, this particular female desire is still expected to remain private. Rather than asking why they are drawn to it, I focus on their feelings.
I construct a fictional future nation called Rotopia, where this desire is no longer hidden but institutionalised. Here, pleasure derived from watching male-male intimacy becomes a normalised public need embedded in social life. Through an official tourism film and cultural merchandise, I present this nation as something tangible, believable, and concrete.
The work does not aim to provide answers. Instead, through this exaggerated and absurd construction, it asks: if such a desire became openly visible and foundational to a nation, how would society respond? At the very least, it reminds viewers that this community exists.
I construct a fictional future nation called Rotopia, where this desire is no longer hidden but institutionalised. Here, pleasure derived from watching male-male intimacy becomes a normalised public need embedded in social life. Through an official tourism film and cultural merchandise, I present this nation as something tangible, believable, and concrete.
The work does not aim to provide answers. Instead, through this exaggerated and absurd construction, it asks: if such a desire became openly visible and foundational to a nation, how would society respond? At the very least, it reminds viewers that this community exists.
Fujoshi Culture
Speculative Nationhood
Visible Desire
Thanks, Thanks, Thanks