21
Mar 10SYNDROME DI STENDHAL
by JOSINE VISSER
The Stendhal Syndrome is a psychosomatic illness induced by viewing an overload of art, predominantly paintings
from the Renaissance period. Every year a small number of tourists are knocked out in Florence, overwhelmed by
the huge amount of art the city has to offer. The heavy symbolism found in Renaissance art confuses the viewer
and is translated in the brain into emotions which can lead to serious symptoms such as aphasia.
Fascinated by this syndrome, in which beautiful aesthetic images produce an extreme and opposite experience,
I play with strong contrasts, creating a new world in the in between no man’s land, which was the starting point
of my collection.
Elements and decorations from the Renaissance period are incorporated into this collection, brought to life into two-dimensional and three-dimensional shapes by fabrics and constructions, using intense colors like cobalt blue, saturated moss green, faded purple and bruised orange; creating a similar confusing and dazzling atmosphere.
