By Szász Lilla

COUNTRY: Hungary

DISEASE: Crohn’s Disease

FORMAT: Color Negative

ARTIST’S SUMMARY

The patient stands on a hill, half-naked, throwing his head back and opening his arms wide. His half-naked torso reveals the bag which has been fixed to his abdominal wall and which is the only visible sign of his disease. However his position and movement, as he is standing emancipated in the sunlight, suggest not shame but a sense of freedom. The natural landscape and the seemingly endless horizon in the background further deepen the feeling of self-acceptance and honest revelation of the self.

PATIENT’S PERSPECTIVE

“A physician diagnosed my disease when I was 18 years old. He told me that I had an incurable but not fatal disease which could be managed. At the time I thought the doctor alone would only be in charge of my cure. I used my disease as a shield, behind which I could hide and which was a good excuse to feel pity for myself. But a recent turning point in my relationship made me realize that I should accept myself with my imperfection and inner insecurity in order to live a complete life.”

About Perspectives

‘Perspectives – Art, Inflammation and Me’ is an initiative that brings together more [...] continue the story

By Birgitte Christens

COUNTRY: Denmark

DISEASE: Crohn’s Disease

FORMAT: Sculpture

ARTIST’S SUMMARY

The artwork illustrates the affected intestines of the patient through shower tubes which we associate with private/intimate bathing habits. The shower tubes carry water in the same way that our intestines carry food and liquids through the body. The tubes close up if they get calcified or form knots.

The metallic intestines have been fitted with ceramic objects showing the stenosis the patient suffers from. The ceramic has red and yellow shared to show the inflammation of the intestines. The ceramic pieces are placed on a hanger, representing the body. We clean our body on the outside, just like we clean our clothes, to appear nice and healthy. Patients with Crohn’s Disease are ill on the inside, and our eyes cannot see it. The hanger is therefore placed in a stand with a transparent plastic bag over it, just like in a dry-cleaning shop, enabling the spectator to see the disease.

The empty bags represent healthy bodies; they don’t feel their intestines and these are therefore shown to be invisible. Some of the ceramic objects carry imprints of elegant lingerie as a contrast to the symptoms of Crohn’s, which include uncontrollable bowel movements and foul [...] continue the story