15 images Created 31 Aug 2020
Marks
The project was intended to document the medical-legal certification work on the marks of violence and torture suffered by the asylum seekers, work carried out by Dr. Antonietta Lanzarone at the Polyclinic of Palermo University. This certification is intended to be attached to the dossier that is presented to the Examination Commission of asylum applications.
The visits conducted by Dr. Lanzarone are always structured in the same way: a preamble of the same Dr. to explain why and how the visit will be carried out, after which the subject is asked to tell his story of emigration, detailing in particular the episodes of violence experienced, facts, context and consequences. Finally, the body exam follows.
The work of the doctor consists in assessing whether the signs found during the body analysis are compatible and to what extent, with the story narrated by the subject.
After a few visits, some things became evident to me: the first is that the psychological signs are far deeper and more lacerating than those visible on the body. The repetitive gestures of all the refugees - hands holding the edge of the table, clenched fists and intertwined hands, etc., - represent the evident disturbance that the tales of the stories involve.
The second one, is the corporal sounding that takes place in that room: basically, in front of me there was people that must undress and have their body analysed in the hope, not to being treated for existing traumas, but only to be believed in order to receive a document. As it was not enough to be victims of violence and torture of various degrees and levels - because this is what it is.
So I chosen to do all the work in this same room, as it was so clear what was going on in that room that it seemed unnecessary and visually distracting to add anything else.
The visits conducted by Dr. Lanzarone are always structured in the same way: a preamble of the same Dr. to explain why and how the visit will be carried out, after which the subject is asked to tell his story of emigration, detailing in particular the episodes of violence experienced, facts, context and consequences. Finally, the body exam follows.
The work of the doctor consists in assessing whether the signs found during the body analysis are compatible and to what extent, with the story narrated by the subject.
After a few visits, some things became evident to me: the first is that the psychological signs are far deeper and more lacerating than those visible on the body. The repetitive gestures of all the refugees - hands holding the edge of the table, clenched fists and intertwined hands, etc., - represent the evident disturbance that the tales of the stories involve.
The second one, is the corporal sounding that takes place in that room: basically, in front of me there was people that must undress and have their body analysed in the hope, not to being treated for existing traumas, but only to be believed in order to receive a document. As it was not enough to be victims of violence and torture of various degrees and levels - because this is what it is.
So I chosen to do all the work in this same room, as it was so clear what was going on in that room that it seemed unnecessary and visually distracting to add anything else.
