Did you know that the word ‘tutu’ first arose from the seats at the front of the Parisian theatre? Glancing up at the stage, audience members could peep at the ‘cul cul’ or bottom of the ballerina and eventually, one thing led to another and the word tutu emerged to describe the skirts they wore. Galerie Pompom are cheekily exploring this theme in their upcoming exhibition, featuring artists Samuel Hodge, Leo Coyte, Emma Thomson and Samuel Quinteros.

The brief for the show was simple. Tutu was all about vantage: the place “where people sitting in the front seats could see up the skirts of the ballerinas [and] get these titillating glances,” says Sydney and Berlin-based photographer Samuel Hodge. The result is a particularly naughty show, featuring some acclaimed Sydney artists glancing up at something they maybe shouldn’t and poking fun at the art world and its trappings.