Strong Anaesthetic Apparatus

2021

Mixed media
76,5 x 51 x 152,5 cm

This anaesthesia device is contained in a metal frame that makes the unit so strong and indestructible that you could even drop it from a plane into a war zone. Once on the ground, the control valves can be opened to administer the correct proportion of oxygen, laughing gas, ether and halothane – a drug on the World Health Organization’s list of essential drugs. This analog system functioned in hospitals until the introduction of digital equipment and demanded a great deal of knowledge and skill from the anaesthesiologist.

Besides aiding surgery, the Strong Anaesthetic Apparatus is also a sculptural composition in which the volumes have been carefully attuned for the perfect harmony and beauty. The baby blue frame is both innocent and antiseptic: a suitable colour for a device that provides numbing, relief and – ultimately – unconsciousness.

Strong Anaesthetic Apparatus (2021) was part of the following exhibition(s):
EHBO, Galerie Ron Mandos, Amsterdam (NL), 2021 – 2022

For enquiries: please contact Atelier Van Lieshout via info@ateliervanlieshout.com