The Event Recorder explores the transformative journey of a physician becoming a patient, mediated through the constant presence of a medical device that both monitored and measured mortality. In May 2018, what began as a clinical necessity – wearing a heart monitor – evolved into a profound meditation on the nature of existence, medical practice, and the physical constraints of being human.
The work examines the dichotomy between the clinical coldness of medical devices and their intimate integration into daily life. The heart monitor, despite its utilitarian purpose, became a physical manifestation of mortality – its weight transcending its actual mass to become a constant reminder of life's fragility. The recurring ritual of changing electrodes, which left the skin raw and searching for new territory, speaks to the body's rebellion against artificial intervention and the limits of medical technology.
This piece marks a crucial intersection where professional identity meets personal vulnerability. As a physician, the artist's relationship with medicine has always been externalized – focused on others' bodies, others' mortality. The heart monitor forced an inward gaze, challenging preconceptions about the distance between healer and patient. Through this experience, the understanding of medical practice shifted from a purely scientific pursuit of survival to a more nuanced appreciation of what makes life worth preserving.
The Event Recorder represents more than a documentation of illness – it is a testament to the moment when clinical detachment gives way to artistic insight, when the systematic approach to healing encounters the chaotic nature of being human. It stands as a reminder that medicine, at its core, is not just about maintaining biological functions, but about supporting the complex tapestry of human experience that makes us want to continue breathing.