Writing against forgetting

The task

How can we make dementia visible in a creative way? How can we take the disease out of the realm of taboo, lift the fear of forgetting, and convey the fullness of this other life that still exists?

Our solution

Dementia fragments thought. Acquired knowledge disappears. It often starts happening before the affected person even suspects that his or her memory is impaired. Language is a good vehicle for depicting dementia. The struggle to find words is part of life for people with dementia, until at some point the words disappear completely.

Out of this idea we developed the high-quality, multipart postcard set entitled “Demenz & Poesie” (“Dementia & Poetry”). On each postcard, there are words formulated in a way that they usually wouldn’t be. And yet, all the sentences make sense because they bring the inner world of the speaker into view. An accompanying postcard tells the short story of Miss Becker (*1939). She forgets her name most of the time. Yet she is full of life.

The postcards can be displayed as small works of art. Or they can be sent off to share something about dementia with others in a pointed and simple way. The goal of the project was to bring this disease to life. To show the richness of this “other” reality.

Typeface: Joanna Sans Nova.
Joanna was designed between 1937 and 1939 by typeface designer Eric Gill. Joanna Sans Nova is a reincarnation of it. The typeface creates a connection between the birth year of our protagonist Miss Becker – and the woman she is today.

Paper: 300 g|m2 Lessebo Natural Rough
Print method: Digital print
Graphics: Alena Fabia Schwarz | Daniel Hunziker Design Identity AG

Price: 15 CHF plus shipping

Orders can be placed via Stephanie Ringel Media.

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