Exhibition - Misbehaving bodies
During the pandemic lockdown exhibitions have not been easily accessible so many galleries and artists have been holding virtual exhibitions. Whilst this is not a virtual exhibition and rather the highlights of a pre-pandemic show, I still found the images and text really engaging. The exhibition is titled Misbehaving Bodies and showcases the work of Jo Spence and Oreet Ashery and was held in the Wellcome Collection museum in London from May 2019 - January 2020.
Jo Spence was a photographer who passed away in 1992. Jo’s cause of death was also her subject matter for this project, cancer. Jo was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1982 and used photography as a form of coping as well as a way of documenting what she saw as the failures of the medical industry. Jo created a series of images around her diagnosis before recovering from breast cancer. Unfortunately a few years later Jo was diagnosed with Leukaemia and her final project that she started in 1991 was never finished. The project was focused around death and both the highs and lows.
Oreet Ashery’s project ‘Revisiting Genesis’ revolves around living with a chronic illness and loss. The project follows two nurses who care for people who are coming to the end of their lives and is a mini series of 12 videos. Oreet explored the ways that people are marginalised whilst living with a chronic illness and trying to get treatment. She also looked at the way that new technology affects our relationship with death and how companies are making products that cater our families and friends after we pass away.
The two projects work really well together and show both sides of someone who has the illness and someone who is exploring the illness. I was drawn towards Jo’s project as I too am creating a project around breast cancer but mine is from the view of a child and daughter rather than the actual patient. Although my mum’s view does come through in my images. I also enjoyed Oreet’s work as I found it was something that I had not seen before especially in a videography format.
To view the exhibition highlights click here: https://wellcomecollection.org/exhibitions/XFHHShUAAAU_pE70