NO STRESS
solo exhibition Francisco Correia
super bien! Berlin (DE)
6.09 __ 13.10.2024
© Jochen Wermann
Francisco Correia present us an installation inside the glass house, which in this specific exhibition represents the instability of the human mind, a thinking on the influence of the pharmaceutical industry in our society in the 90s and which persists in our contemporary times playing between vices and gadgets, merchandising and the simple gesture of a teaser that questions the credibility of the prescriber.
"The pharmaceutical industry's sales departments were responsible for promoting their companies' drugs catalog to doctors and hospital board members, who then decided which of the available options should be purchased to treat certain conditions or diseases. [...] It was non-negotiable that every new medical product presented to doctors came with a mug, a laser pointer, a reusable plastic straw with the product's mascot, pencils, pens, beach towels, binoculars, T-shirts, erasers, Swiss Army knives, calculators, music boxes, etc. Among these, gambling-related souvenirs were some of the most common ones to be found. There were playing cards promoting Imodium (which treats occasional diarrhea), score sheets for "King" advertising Cefradur (an antibiotic to treat bacterial infections), or poker dice sets by Xanax (to treat anxiety and panic disorders). “Anxiety has many faces” was the motto printed on the inside of a Xanax poker dice set, suggesting a light-hearted link between anxiety disorder and gambling activities."
Francisco Correia, July 2024