Art and epilepsy

Epilepsy is an extremely chronic illness; frequently it also takes on the character of a handicap if it is not possible to prevent attacks through medical measures – which, by definition, means that it is more difficult for a person suffering from fits to be accepted by educational institutions, find a job, make interpersonal or social contacts or even organise their leisure time.

The individual's problems with fitting into society almost inevitably lead to

More often than not, this is the typical pattern of epilepsy as a chronic illness – especially if the recurring characteristic symptoms of this illness, i.e. the individual epileptic fits, irritate or actually frighten people in the sufferer's environment. Especially in the case of very violent fits, above all Grand Mal-type fits involving severe cramps and unconsciousness, the irritation and shock caused by the experience of observing the incident is more pronounced and vivid than in the case of the person affected, as sufferers themselves are not aware of these violent fits in their unconsciousness (or at least dimming of consciousness) and only experience it – after it has occurred – through the reactions of the persons who have witnessed fit, like in a mirror, so to speak.

If we adopt the definition of art as a creative expression of human beings that provides evidence of their thoughts, interpretations, feelings and wishes, it is understandable that the darker sides, failures and borderline experiences, and not just the sunny side of life, are reflected in the subject matter of artistic creations . Such negative moments can be caused by unhappiness, death, disappointment – and also by illnesses, especially by a chronic illness. The conspicuously frequent use of epilepsy as the subject matter for art may on the one hand be due to the fact that this illness is and has in fact always been common throughout history (in the so-called western world between one in a hundred and one in two hundred people suffer from it!) and, on the other hand, due to the fact that its symptoms and manifestation are often depicted in a dramatic and extremely impressive way; finally, another reason could be that, especially in former historical epochs, mystical ideas, religious views, superstitious ways of thinking and abstruse theories as to the possible causes of epilepsy repeatedly emerged, which always deeply moved and confused the people affected and witnesses observing the fits (epilepsy only gained its final place as an organically caused, pathophysiologically explicable illness in the 19th century!)

Against this backdrop, it is therefore hardly surprising that epilepsy as a depressing, frightening and in many epochs stigmatising affliction, is repeatedly a subject of the "artistic divestment" of the human being – in various artistic fields:

Vice versa, this frequent presence of epilepsy as a subject in art may be a sign that this illness has very special status for people who are directly or indirectly affected (e.g. relatives, friends) and for observing and interpreting artists – especially for the psycho-social situation of epilepsy sufferers.

When examples of the epilepsy motif in art are demonstrated and ('carefully') interpreted in the "Epilepsy and Art" section of this homepage in the near future, this presentation will be accompanied by the hope that the multifaceted symptoms of epilepsy can be clarified to some extent and that perhaps also positive moments , which the state of being ill can undoubtedly imply, will be recognisable – for instance, according to the spirit of André Gides, who said: "I believe illnesses are a key that can open certain doors to us."

The main focus of the presentation is to be on the visual arts and the belletristic genre.

Initially a cycle of two months is planned, starting in mid February 2004 with the presentation of the copperplate engraving

by the North-American academic and artist Janet Yagoda Shagam.

The following themes are to follow by the end of the year (the right to make changes is reserved):