Paradise Lost, 2017-2020
This project undertakes a poetic journey, discovering womanhood with the disease of Alzheimer. This project is burning in my soul, as life is fading out. Dêd, my aunt never has had own children. What remains of us, when everything is taken away: language, thoughts, memories, personality? Modern life is involved in the variety of canons and conventions. It takes place behind closed doors. My project is an ironic adaptation and denunciation of the canonized stereotype of Alzheimer’s dementia. Skilfully handling the vulnerability and fragility of the oldened body, it is demonstrated that age and mind is wearable; a pleading for the assertion in the face of impermanence. With pride and strength Dêd is standing up to the transience of her ideals. The self-understanding of fashion as a muse of long-dead fashion creators . In our modern society Alzheimer disease, along with the aging process, is downright tabooed. I would love to take the project on a very lively journey through a decade of darkness to her bohemian life elixir.
Paris is still regarded as the hub of fashion. Beside the conventional view of reality misrepresents the simplicity of an underlying truth of body and a new angle of Alzheimer’ Beauty . Their soul remains refreshingly young and stormy. These portrays are expand by a cinematic movie .
Till today Dêd is crossing her quarter Marais in small triple steps, on much too high footwear. She always eats outside and no kosher food, as they don´t serve any whiskey. Waiters double prices, but she donates a coquettish smile.Her home is one oasis, paintings, pictures, books; sculptures and her library enchanting her soul. Book dedications from our collective memories like Francis Bacon or Beauvoir and her overfilled wardrobes as jewel box . She was born in the early in the 30s Germany. The crowds waved Swastika. Like many other Jews who survived the genocide, they have chosen Paris. She has given shelter to many Communists and poor artists and her generosity never has had limits.
Dêd can hardly hear anything. She misplaced her hearing aid and finds it in a strange place. For this project I love to advocate her in her dementia daily rhyme. We all united in our emotional experience. What separates us is our different cognitive deficits. But we must not stop searching for it. The hunger for Life. That is why I still follow her path. Life is real and I hope this project is startling scope, beauty, erudition and more than everything wisdom. One portrait of life caught in the crosswinds of history and the now: Ready for anything.
