Pepón Osorio:
Convalescence
This exhibition, created by the artist Pepón Osorio, addresses the difficulties of navigating the United States healthcare system through the personal experiences of five Philadelphians. As with many of Osorio’s exhibitions, the artistic decisions he makes are guided by his conversations with others, in this case with those who, like himself, have experienced severe illness and treatment at hospitals.
For Osorio, convalescence means “accepting that you will always never be the same” after a major illness or healthcare trauma. He has filled this exhibition with the trappings of healthcare environments such as Get Well Soon balloons, MRI scans, food trays, pill bottles, and hospital beds. He layers and contrasts these objects with culturally specific remedies such as acupuncture needles, religious icons, and bottles of alcoholado (a mixture of rubbing alcohol and herbs commonly used in Latinx communities for spiritual cleansing and healing). Together, these disparate symbols unify the healing process as an act of faith capable of personal and collective change.
This exhibition is presented by Thomas Jefferson University’s Jefferson Humanities & Health program. Major support for Convalescence is provided by The Pew Center for Arts & Heritage, with additional support from the Wagner Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, the families involved in the project, and the artist’s studio.