People with Alzheimer's in Camp de Morvedre recreate 80 masterpieces in Canet d'en Berenguer
AFACAM, a Camp de Morvedre association for families affected by Alzheimer's, shows 80 photographs of people with the illness posing inside famous paintings in Canet d'en Berenguer, next to Sagunto, from 25 September to 3 October.
From Friday 25 September to Saturday 3 October, the Casa de los Llano in Canet d'en Berenguer hosts 80 photographs in which people with Alzheimer's step inside famous paintings. It is called 'Somos historia del arte' ('We Are Art History') and is an exhibition by AFACAM, the association of relatives of people with Alzheimer's and other dementias in the Camp de Morvedre district, and it forms part of the events with which Canet's town council marks World Alzheimer's Day, every 21 September. Canet is a municipality neighbouring Sagunto, so the event is close to people who live in the city.
The idea is almost a game of imagination: what if the viewer could step to the other side of the canvas? The participants, people who attend the association's Stimulation Unit (Unidad de Estimulación), did exactly that. On sets built in the image of each painting, with its tones, proportions and atmosphere, they posed as the central figures of each scene, and the resulting photographs show universal works with faces and life stories different from the originals. In its origins, the project was linked to the celebration of International Museum Day.
The format is photography: each piece is an image in which the participant takes the place of the characters in the painting. The repertoire includes Frida Kahlo and her Self-Portrait with Monkeys, The Scream by Edvard Munch, El Greco's The Nobleman with His Hand on His Chest (El caballero de la mano en el pecho), Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring (La joven de la perla) and La Gioconda (Mona Lisa) by Leonardo da Vinci.
With the exhibition, AFACAM wants visitors to notice the person who appears in each image and to leave the illness in the background: according to the association, Alzheimer's accompanies these participants' lives without defining them. Pere Antoni, the town's mayor, praised the originality of the idea and said it will be hard not to be moved by works that, in his opinion, convey the courage and fortitude of those affected and of their families.
Alzheimer's is the most common form of dementia: according to the World Health Organization (WHO), it may account for between 60% and 70% of cases, and AFACAM supports people with both Alzheimer's and other dementias. Families, the group the association represents, also carry a large part of the burden: the WHO estimates that in 2019 about half of the global economic cost of dementia came from care provided by informal carers (relatives and close friends), averaging five hours a day of care and supervision.
The exhibition can be seen for nine days. The sources consulted do not specify opening hours or admission price, so it is worth confirming with Canet town council or the association before going. According to elperiodicodeaqui.com, with World Health Organization (WHO) data on dementia.