“Obelix Nutrix” is a performance by Ania Nowak, which will be on show at the Salzburger Kunstverein on 17, 18 and 21 August 2024. Focusing on the figure of Florence Nightingale, the founder of modern nursing, the artist asks topical questions about the role and perception of nurses in the modern world. Admission to the shows is free.
“Obelix Nutrix” – from Florence Nightingale to metaverse
Ania Nowak is an artist known for her performances, video-performances, installations and texts. She is interested in bodies and their ability to feel, think and overcome difficulties. In the “Obelix Nutrix” performance, she blends historical and futuristic elements, explores the evolving role of caregivers in health care and poses a timely question: how will we care for each other in the metaverse?
Florence Nightingale is a figure who has become a point of reference to the performer’s considerations. In the mid-19th century, this outstanding woman developed the foundations on which the modern image of the nurse is based. To this day, she is internationally recognised as the founder of modern nursing and, as the “Lady with the Lamp” in the public discourse, is the epitome of compassionate care and meticulous attention to the hygiene and well-being of patients.
The dual nature of nursing versus societal expectations
Ania Nowak explores the figure of a nurse. She embodies an internal contradiction: at the same time she acts as a person who provides comfort and enforces imposed medical regimes. The duality of approach reflects the paradoxical nature of nursing and thus the social ambivalence toward nursing work. The narrative is further enhanced by references to nurse characters appearing in pop culture – for example, Nurse Ratched from “One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest” embodies the fine line between care and tyranny. These references provoke thoughts about how society values care work. Is it respected for its personal sacrifice, or is it viewed through a prism of suspicion and depreciation?
In “Obelix Nutrix”, Nightingale’s actions, immortalised in her diaries and rooted in matter-of-fact but at the same time understanding care, are contrasted with the digital language of GPT-4 chat. Their juxtaposition highlights the disparity between traditional nursing practices and the latest advances in digital health technologies. Through spoken word, enhanced by sound and bold costuming, the performance encourages the audience to think about the future of care and nursing. It speculates on how the essence of nursing work may change as nursing moves into the digital realm, and what implications it will have for the public health system.
On nurses through the eyes of performers in Salzburg
The SMART NURSING performance series at the Salzburger Kunstverein runs from June to August 2024. Three artists: Liesel Burisch, Ania Nowak and Anna Witt artistically analyse care practices and the ongoing global shift toward digital health care. Ania Nowak’s “Obelix Nutrix” performance was commissioned and produced by the Salzburger Kunstverein in cooperation with the Adam Mickiewicz Institute. It was co-financed from the funds of the Minister of Culture and National Heritage.
Ania Nowak’s performance for SMART NURSING will be on show at the Salzburger Kunstverein:
- 17 August 2024, 16:00
- 18 August 2024, 16:00
- 21 August 2024, 19:00
Admission free. All visitors are welcome!
Curator: Mirela Baciak.
Sound: Justyna Stasiowska
Costumes: Grzegorz Matląg / Maldoror
Video production: treat.agency