Armors
Annabel Kajetski in an exhibition by Odd Collective
Multichannel videoinstallation
Recycled mirrors, 4 screens, 4 headphones and a approx. 5meter wall of mirrors. Duration: approx. 00:10:00 x 4, Language: Fin, Eng
Picture from the Armors exhibition at the Myymälä2 gallery 23.8-15.9.2024. Images by: Myymälä2 team
Annabel Kajetski, a former healthcare worker who left the field due to its overwhelming pressures, presents a poignant exploration of the emotional and psychological toll on those who serve on the front lines of healthcare. Drawing from her own experience, Kajetski suggests that healthcare workers are metaphorically compelled to wear masks, armor, or capes—necessary shields against the constant strain of their demanding roles. "It was impossible to be yourself completely, and you constantly felt the need to toughen up," she reflects in her video for the exhibition, where she, too, was interviewed with the same questions as the three healthcare workers she interviewed.
The exhibition, presented by Odd Collective, delves into these layers of emotional armor. The project is built on Kajetski's interviews with three healthcare workers, who were invited to express their experiences through art. Each participant paints their personal mask, armor, or cape on a mirror, symbolizing the psychological shields they feel they must wear while navigating their demanding, often traumatic work. These self-painted shields serve as a powerful representation of how they protect themselves from the emotional weight of their roles.
A second central element of the exhibition is a large mirror wall. As visitors stand before the wall, they are invited to consider their own emotional shields and the ways in which they, too, may wear armor in their daily lives.
