On Friday, February 28th, Rare Disease Day took place – a global day of action to raise awareness about rare diseases. In Luxembourg, the non-profit organization ALAN is particularly committed to those affected. On this occasion, the a.s.b.l. organized an art exhibition with artist Yannik Tossing, who also draws attention to the topic through his sculptures.
Although the term “rare diseases” suggests that only a few people are affected, the total number is significant: worldwide, one in 20 people suffer from a rare disease. In Luxembourg, this affects around 30,000 people. These diseases are often characterized by few treatment options and rarely a possibility of cure. Particularly common are diseases that attack the neuromuscular complex.
In Luxembourg, the non-profit organization ALAN offers comprehensive support to those affected and their relatives. The organization provides free administrative and social assistance and offers psychological counseling. Moreover, it organizes leisure activities such as yoga, water gymnastics, and horse therapy to promote the well-being of those affected. Additionally, ALAN advocates for the rights and interests of people with rare diseases at national and international levels.
Daily Distortion
On the occasion of this year’s Rare Disease Day, which takes place annually on February 28th (on leap years on February 29th), ALAN presented the art project “Daily Distortion“. This project was created in collaboration with Luxembourg artist Yannick Tossing, who took the initiative to reach out to the organization and propose the joint project.
The event took place at the ALAN headquarters in Kockelscheuer. Among the guests were ALAN President Anja Di Bartolomeo and the Minister of Health and Social Security Martine Deprez, who both gave short speeches.
Artist Yannick Tossing brought his very personal story through his sculptures and photomontages. Namely, his father suffered from the neurodegenerative hereditary Huntington’s disease. For this project, Tossing actively approached ALAN: “My older brother lives in Canada and is active there in research and healing of Huntington’s disease. In collaboration with him and the ‘Société Huntington du Québec’, I was able to realize an exhibition in Montreal last year. This project inspired me to approach ALAN and propose this joint project.”
Objects Under Pressure
The focus of the exhibition was the sculptures from his “Huntington Series”: “In my sculptures, I process the experiences of how such a disease influences ordinary everyday life – not only for the affected person but also from the perspective of the family and relatives,” he explains. His works consist of ordinary everyday objects such as chairs, scissors, soccer balls, or hair dryers. He complements these with a 3D pen, creating an exciting visual contrast between the white-painted objects and the bright orange “distortions”. These distortions symbolize the challenges and conflicts arising from the disease. “The objects are influenced by the distortion but are never completely covered by it – this is meant to show that the situation is never hopeless and that solutions can be found with effort and commitment.”
His photomontages deal with the theme of memories and their transience. From photos he has taken himself, mostly during travels: “Memories are never clear images, but usually a wild collection of various impressions – and gaps – that feed into a feeling. I try to visualize this with my photomontages.”
A Creative Donation Campaign
As a special donation campaign, Tossing has designed four T-shirt designs inspired by his sculptures. The T-shirts can be pre-ordered until March 31st. Afterwards, buyers can transfer a minimum amount of 30 € to Yannick Tossing. The production of the shirts is done in collaboration with the workshops of the Fondation Kräizbierg, with all proceeds going as a donation to ALAN. Further information about the T-shirt campaign can be found at: https://www.yannicktossing.com/daily-distortion
