As part of the preparations for the project we held meetings with medical teams in about ten psychiatric hospitals in Israel.
I have always been fascinated by the connection between the commercial, the artistic, and the social spheres. The opportunity to work in accordance with the values I hold, and at the same time to compensate artists generously, thanks to budgets stemming from the commercial sphere, seemed like an attractive possibility. In 2001, I conceived the “Art and Business” conference, which explored the connection between business, art and social responsibility. A decade later, the components all came together.
In 2011, Ciechanover suggested that together we oversee and curate a project and an exhibition that would explore the challenges of coping with the disorder of schizophrenia. She was in contact with the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies which had developed a groundbreaking drug to treat the disorder. The idea was to create an art project that was a collaboration between artists and schizophrenics who were drawn to art and creative pursuits, and to use the exhibition as a type of leverage to try to reduce the stigma associated with schizophrenia among so many members of the public. Research I conducted about the history of the drug company, and specifically the new drug it was offering, put my mind at rest and we set out on a fascinating journey that evolved into another project and a years-long friendship with one of the participants who struggles with the disorder.
At the preparatory meetings for the project that we held with the medical teams at the psychiatric hospitals, we demonstrated our concept by making presentations that showed art projects in the community that I had been involved in, as well as collaborative art projects around the world with psychiatric hospitals. We were able to initiate collaborations with most of the hospitals, which subsequently identified out-patients who could both contribute to, and benefit from participation in, the project. At the same time, we reached out to leading Israeli artists and proposed that they join us. Their response was overwhelmingly positive.
Thirteen artist-patient pairs participated in the project which provided an opportunity for the people coping with schizophrenia to speak out about their lives and their hopes for their futures, through the language of contemporary art. Each pair met for several weeks to create a collaborative work. Their creations were exhibited at the Amiad Center Gallery in Jaffa, and an accompanying catalogue was published. Alongside the exhibition, open meetings were held with the public. These encounters dealt with the lives of the schizophrenics and their families, and were supervised by mental health professionals. Enosh – The Israeli Mental Health Association, and the Janssen Pharmaceutical Companies were our partners for this project.
