Limited by the professional background of medical practitioners, the common health education exhibitions in Taiwan are always guided by knowledge and science, and put medical information in the forefront, but rarely start from the strong feelings or mood of the patients themselves, so that there is a lack of elements that affect people’s deep emotions and sympathy, so that health education becomes one-way output and too flat, and the audience lacks the fun of exploration and establishes subjective feelings, and soon loses interest in the content of the exhibition, resulting in spending a lot of manpower, material resources and time, but it is difficult to resonate with the audience.
The combination of art and medicine is not only about health education, but also about healing
In March this year, the “Cancer Series” art exhibition curated by the USC Fisher Art Museum subverted the thinking of knowledge popularization, by showing the physical and mental experience of the artist Margaret Lazzari in the process of breast cancer treatment, not only attracting many art lovers and cancer patients to visit, but also creating empathy and empathy in the exhibition, so that the general public can feel the heavy damage and health threat of breast cancer to people’s minds, as well as the expectation of new treatments.
Showing the resilience of life through art
Margaret Lazzari is Professor Emeritus at the University of Southern California’s Roski School of Art and Design, and is well known in the art world. She founded the USC Design Program and served as Chair of the Department of Painting and Drawing, Associate Dean of Art, and Associate Dean for Academics. Her work often explores human emotions and psychological changes, which are most vividly exemplified in the Cancer Series.
Lazzari’s Cancer Series, created between 2003 and 2004, includes more than thirty paintings, drawings and videos that document her extreme emotional swings and psychological trauma during her cancer treatment. The works in the exhibition show the physical and psychological effects of cancer treatment, as well as the process of reconnecting with oneself. Her work highlights how the connection between the body and self-perception has been altered by cancer, and how artists use art to express hope and rebirth in the healing process.
Exhibition Highlights:
The Cancer Series exhibition not only showcases Lazzari’s personal experiences, but also provides a platform for understanding and empathy through art. Viewers can see in her work the complex emotions of cancer treatment, from despair to hope, from pain to rebirth. Danielle Sommer, the curator of the exhibition, said that the exhibition aims to give the audience an in-depth understanding of the inner world of cancer patients, and break down the barriers of language through art, so that people can feel the pain and courage of cancer patients more directly.
The works in the exhibition are not only a record of her personal experience, but also an encouragement and support to all those who have undergone or are undergoing cancer treatment. This exhibition highlights the importance of hope and rebuilding in cancer treatment, not only providing spiritual comfort to those suffering from cancer, but also allowing more people to understand and pay attention to the psychological and emotional world of cancer patients, and stimulating social attention to cancer treatment and support.
─ Gu Wanru, Director of Health Communication Division, PatientsForce Caihong Health Integration Group
