Sensory Spaces – A Retrospective on the Waterkant Exhibition
The Waterkant Festival's future-oriented exhibition in Kiel ended on September 27th. Under the title " Stimulus Spaces, " (Reizräume) I presented various artistic and interactive works about living with migraines.
The exhibition pleased me especially because the different works were used in very different ways: for viewing, trying out, participating – and above all as a starting point for conversations about migraine, chronic pain and the often invisible experiences associated with them.
The central question was how to make migraine and chronic overstimulation visible and perhaps more understandable to others.
Particularly popular was “ Migraine Management ” , a digital “Choose your own Adventure” game in which you play through everyday decisions with chronic migraines.
The large participatory poster #ichhabeauchMigraine (I also have migraine) also constantly changed throughout the exhibition. Visitors could color in the figures, thus leaving their own mark on the work. In the end, the originally white poster had become a colorful, growing collection. This change, in particular, beautifully illustrated for me how something shared can emerge from individual experiences.
Gallery with photos of the poster #ICHHABEAUCHMIGRÄNE (Credits: Andrea Geipel)
Another focus was my coloring and activity book, "Making Migraine Visible." (Migräne sichtbar machen) The prototype combines creative exercises, reflection, and accessible medical information. It is intentionally neither a classic coloring book nor a medical guide, but rather a hybrid format blending art, science communication, and self-help. The exercises range from free doodling and visualizing pain to personal pain scales and reflection tasks, as well as creative approaches to medical knowledge. The goal is not to draw something "correctly" or beautifully. Instead, the book aims to create an accessible space where those affected can perceive, express, and visualize their own experiences.
Especially in the context of the exhibition, it was fascinating to see how many people stopped to look at the book and engage with its different pages. In addition, there were postcards available to color, inviting visitors to get involved, leave their thoughts, or take a picture with them.
The postcards ran out very quickly. Several copies of my tarot card set "Je ne sais pas" also left the exhibition space in a somewhat unexpected way. The latter wasn't necessarily planned – but at the same time, I was pleased about it. It shows that people wanted to not only look at the works, but also take them home and use them further.
The tarot card set explores uncertainty, perception, and the elusive experiences of chronic migraine. Together with the coloring and activity book, the poster, and the interactive game, it created an exhibition that offered diverse approaches: playful, visual, creative, scientific, and personal.
I also received very positive feedback from the organizers regarding the exhibition and its impact. For me, "Reizräume" was therefore not only an opportunity to showcase existing works, but also an important test of how different formats function in public spaces and what kinds of conversations arise from them.
The exhibition has shown me once again that art can open up spaces where experiences become visible and discussable, experiences for which words are often lacking. It is precisely at this intersection that I want to continue working in the future: between art, science, and health – and together with people living with chronic illnesses.
What's next for the coloring and activity book?
The prototype of "Making Migraine Visible" is finished. Now I'm looking for a publisher or suitable partners who would like to further develop and publish the project with me. The book is not yet available in stores.
If you know of a suitable publisher, foundation, or other institution that might be interested in this project, I would be very grateful for a suggestion. Anyone who is personally interested in the book is also welcome to contact me. The more interest I generate, the better I can demonstrate to potential partners that there is a need for this format.
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