Artists

Paul Prothesis

Press release

Many of us, myself included, have grown a little weary of constantly reading and hearing about ‘care’, particularly in the visual arts. The problem of oversaturation, however, does not lie with the philosophical, socio-political and lived field itself, but rather with the excessive generalisation and conflation – even the commodification – of its diverse meanings and qualities. If we take medical care work as an example, we see that, instead of (self-)love and a profound humanistic understanding of shared care, care work repeatedly emerges as a symbolised, theorised and appropriated arena of opinion. Yet caregivers, whether professional healthcare workers or untrained carers, exist entirely without applause, visibility or external evaluation. Their actions generate a productive ambiguity that goes far beyond binary-regulated giving and taking, as the ailing body in need of care demands constant attention. As is well known, this form of care work comes at a price and entails unpleasant side-effects, including shame, disgust and the suppression of gazes, feelings and longings. Containment & Desire in the Leaking Body is an exploration of the place, time and experience of taboos, shedding light on supposedly dirty and abject aspects from the perspective of a queer, care-giving artist known as Paul Prothesis. In this first exhibition, the artist explores forms of visibility and intimacy that are both disabling and disabling, emotional and physical leaks, phantom limbs and wound dressings, as well as questions of masculinity, alongside the desire to remain permeable in close relationships with illness. Andrea Kopranovic