Toon mij wie je bent (Show me who you are)

With her mother’s dementia as the reason, Miek van Dongen has delved into the world that is hidden behind a dementia process. To closely monitor the changes in the dementia process, she made a pinhole on every visit during her mother’s last year of life; about 45 pieces. With the book Toon mij wie je bent (Show Me Who You Are), she puts her finger on the sore spot. The subtle shifts are visible and enhanced by the authentic artisanal pinhole technique (made on photosensitive paper in a box with a small hole). The effect is unpredictable and surprising. The more the person with dementia stops and blurs, the sharper the image becomes.

Miek has examined the experiences and amazement during this process essayistically and elaborated them in fragments; into a universal subject in which both parent and child, as well as the reader and spectator, are questioned about everyone’s own reality. The title Toon mij wie je bent indicates that a new view of reality is needed.

This intimate art project brings the world of dementia very humanly close.