A.R. (Bert) Feddema (06-12-1966), graduated in 1993 from the Minerva art School in Groningen. After graduation he became fascinated by science and the world of multinationals. Since, he developed and founded his own so-called multinational High Tech Brain Technologies (HTBT). In the name of this multinational he has created different works which are signed HTBT or HTBT-Pharma. viramuneFor more information on Bert and his work, please visit: http://htbt.exto.org

Within the arts we talk a lot about the individual experience, but never about the experience of being ill or in pain. It is important to overcome this taboo and make the subject of pain a topic that can be freely discussed. A few years ago Bert became ill himself and has since experienced chronic pain. Besides, he was drawn into the medical world, became part of a medical cycle of sickness, hospitalisation and long-term medication. He realised that being chronically ill and experiencing pain can influence one’s entire life: it changes a persons’ self-image and it raises many new questions. Who do you tell that you are sick? When do you tell people you are sick? How about finding a new job? All these questions though, often remain unanswered because of the taboo. In order to open these issues to discussion, Bert created a self –portrait series of paintings entitled ‘Look at me - Look into me’. The recurring theme of the series is the experience of pain which becomes tangible and real in every work through scratches made with a pencil.