CORE EXHIBITION → ENDO IN ART
ENDOmetriosis IN ART
How can art reveal the hidden realities of endometriosis? Eight artists explore pain, resilience, and lived experiences, offering new perspectives on this often invisible condition.
Curator Nadia Russell Kissoon presenting the exhibition Breaking this silence. Video language: French with English subtitles.
Breaking this silence
How can stories reshape our understanding of illness and the body? Breaking This Silence, part of the #ENDOs project, is an art exhibition featuring eight artists—some with endometriosis, some without—who challenge conventional narratives. Held at Bakery Art Gallery in Bordeaux, France, it explores the intersections of illness, identity, and societal constructs through powerful, transformative works. The exhibition was organised by L’Agence Créative in its research and creation program Endometriose Academy.
Curator: Nadia Russell Kissoon
Artists: Enora Keller, Hystera - Dr Alicja Pawluczuk, Maëliss Le Bricon, Nadia Russell Kissoon, Nathalie Man, Rachael Jablo, Corinne Szabo, Ema Eygreteau
Exhibition period: 26 January–10 February 2024
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How can stories transform our understanding of illness, identity, and the body? Breaking the Silence, part of the #ENDOs project, is an art exhibition that explores the power of narratives to create new realities. Held at Bakery Art Gallery in Bordeaux, France, from 26 January to 10 February 2024, the exhibition features eight artists—some with endometriosis, some without—who use autopathographic, activist, and critical works to reframe the female body.
Rather than merely representing reality, the works presented here actively challenge and rewrite it. The artists delve into the silent, invisible nature of endometriosis, confronting a body colonised by disease and shaped by cultural, historical, and societal constructs. By engaging with themes ranging from medical and philosophical theories to mythological and religious symbolism, these pieces question and reimagine how the uterus and its “wandering endometrium” have been understood across time.
Curated by Nadia Russell Kissoon, Breaking the Silence invites viewers to confront retrograde ideas and embrace new narratives that place women’s experiences at the forefront.
“People need to be heard. Breaking this silence means breaking this cycle of recurring trauma for future generations.”
THE FEMALE BODY AND ILLNESS IN ART
Can art help us understand why women’s health issues, like endometriosis, are often considered taboo?
Linda Hinners, curator at the Nationalmuseum in Sweden, takes a closer look at how the portrayal of the female body throughout art history. What do these images reveal about our attitudes toward women's bodies and physical symptoms? Using examples from the museum’s collection, Hinners explores how depictions of the female body and sick women might still shape how we view female illness today.
Video language: Swedish. Automatic subtitles available.
Highlights from exhibition “Breaking this silence”
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![Glass vase "Le Vase de Freud" by Corinne Szabo]()
Le Vase de Freud
Corinne Szabo, Le Vase de Freud, Verre soufflé. 60 x 50 x 15 cm. 2021. Photo: Isabella Reyes
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![Uteruses on wall from installation Hysteria]()
Hysteria Project Installation
Close up of The Hysteria Project installation, featuring uterus portraits of (clockwise from center top) Denitsa, Alex, Carys, Carly.
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![Artwork with mixed media and led]()
Endo violence hell 1 2024
Hystera - Dr Alicja Pawluczuk, Endo violence hell 1 2024, Led, collage, papier autocollant, tissus, corde, techniques mixtes Dimensions variables.
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![Knitted artwork by Ema Eygreteau]()
Artwork by Ema Eygreteau
View of the exhibition “Breaking this silence exhibition”, BAG Gallery, Bordeaux - France January 2024. Curator: Nadia Russell Kissoon
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![Artwork with selfies by Enora Keller]()
365 days in yellow
Enora Keller, 365 days in yellow, 28 mars 2022 - 28 mars 2023, installation. Impressions photographie 2022-2023.
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![Performance by Nadia Russell Kissoon wearing a mask standing in front of a black curtain]()
Performance by Nadia Russell Kissoon
Nadia Russell Kissoon, Performance January 2024. Breaking this silence exhibition,
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![Nathalie Man pasting poem on wall]()
Nous sommes infatigables
“Nous sommes infatigables”, poem in public space by Nathalie Man
Revisiting the female body in art history
How have ancient perceptions of the female body influenced our current understanding of women's diseases like endometriosis?
In this interview, artist and art historian Corinne Szabo discusses the representation of the female body throughout art history and how it shapes contemporary views. How can art play a crucial role in raising awareness and transforming perceptions of female bodies? Szabo emphasises the importance of re-evaluating historical narratives to foster a deeper understanding of women's experiences and the challenges they face today.
Corinne Szabo is an artist and art historian who teaches in preparatory classes for prestigious schools in France.
Video language: French. Automatic subtitles available.
