The following is a translation of an article, originally written in Japanese by Reina Shimzu for Art News Japan. The original story can be read here.
There is a worldwide movement to improve the well-being of patients and medical professionals by incorporating art that inspires people in the medical field. London-based journalist Rena Shimizu reports on these efforts in a series titled “Forefront of Medicine and Art.”
The first is about Art in Site, which has been producing art for hospitals over the last 20 years.
What if a hospital visit was less anxious experience?
What if it wasn’t a drab place, but instead, a space filled with fun and art?
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Art in Site produces art for hospitals and other medical facilities. Over the past 20 years, they’ve worked on nearly 100 projects, covering a wide range of subjects, from pediatrics to psychiatry, dementia environments, emergency wards, obstetrics, and more. Most of the projects are commissioned by public hospitals and funded mainly by public budgets and donations.
Founder Louisa Williams worked as an art consultant for retailers such as M&S and airports in the 1990s. She recalls that her career was a series of experiments in various social environments outside the gallery space, while asking the big question, “What can art do?”
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What gave her the chance to start a business was a project to build a new King’s College Hospital in London. Hearing the voices of the medical staff at the frontline saying, “From a disgusting place to a fun place,” she realized that incorporating art into the medical field could change people’s lives, and that it could become a business. In 2003, she founded Art in Site.
Designing for the “community” of a hospital.
Art in Site projects are the fruit of teamwork. Art in Site’s team closely supports and collaborates with the artists employed in the project, hospital staff, and patients — all of whom will participate in the artistic process. Talks with representatives of the charities that fund the project, as well as polling people from various frontlines of the hospital, are all important.
Art in Site designer, Celia Knox, says, “Our work is always a collaboration of various people, and every participant’s voice has an impact. We are progressing by repeating these steps.”
“Our job is to plan and implement the branding for each hospital,” says Martin Jones, co-director with Williams. Art in Site regards each hospital as a community formed by medical personnel, patients, and their families who gather there. They select suitable artists to create and introduce original art works and designs. A project that progresses through collaboration is “like a work of art in itself”.
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Conveying hospital messages through art
“Identifying needs and community aspirations is crucial”, as Peter Shenai, Art in Site’s creative strategist, notes. “We need to understand the basic conditions of the hospital, such as what kind of medical staff and patients there are, and how each place and room functions. We may even go and monitor a space over a 24 hours period, to ensure we don’t overlook anything, and to see how things change over time.” Furthermore, Art in Site gets to hear a wide range of opinions — through interviews with hospital staff, patients, and their families.
From there, the artist and the in-house designer conduct repeated meetings and sketches to understand “how we can best utilise the artist’s work, their vision in the space. We want to weave their unique style interior through our interior design to achieve the maximum impact for patients and staff.” says Shenai.
For example, in hospitals, poor flow lines and complicated displays tend to cause for stress patients. However, if the routes and zones are indicated with pictures and colours, it will be easier for children and people with English difficulties to understand. In addition, a picture with a touch of humour or a beautiful landscape can add a relaxing effect.
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“Through art, we want to convey a message to both patients and healthcare workers: ‘This hospitals welcome you. We know how to communicate with patients, including children and immigrants, through art,” Williams says. In addition, if patients and their families feel secure that “this hospital is reliable”, then their trust and communication with doctors will improve, and smooth treatment will be possible.
A 10-year project with Kiriko Kubo
One of the long-term projects that Art in Site has been working on for 10 years is the introduction of art to Evelina Children’s Hospital operated by the NHS (National Health Service) in London. Kiriko Kubo, a cartoonist living in London, was appointed as the artist in charge, and since 2013 has introduced original works one after another in the hospital. Her charming, distinctive illustrations are scattered throughout the hospital, making you feel like you are in the Kubo Kiriko Museum.
As for why he commissioned Kubo, Jones says that Kubo’s manga style was one of the decisive factors. “In Kiriko’s work, the angle at which the head is tilted expresses the individuality and feelings of the characters. You have a cool image — one that appeals across ages, without trying hard.”
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In the project, Kubo and Jones first held a workshop to understand the hospital community. “Manga production is a one-on-one job with an editor, but in Art in Site’s work, it is important to get the consent of the client hospital board, the doctors and nurses on site, and most importantly, the patients and their families. I create works by incorporating the opinions of various people,” says Kubo, looking back on the process.
The result is the “Evelina Gang” – a group of 10 portraits of children and teens — with races, genders and health-related conditions (bandages, wheelchairs, etc.) represented to reflect and celebrate the patient community. Starting with Evelina, a 3-year-old girl, everyone has a name and an assumed age.
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Art also has the effect of creating a sense of belonging to the hospital community and bonds among staff members. It is said that there are quite a few hospital staff who see Kubo’s illustrations of doctors and laboratory technicians and say, “That’s me.” One laboratory technician said, “I didn’t think anyone cared about my existence until Kiriko drew it for me."
In addition to human characters, there are also many pictures of animals in the hospital. In the case of Evelina Children’s Hospital, the floors have long been named after places such as the sea and mountains, as well as animals. “In the project, I took advantage of this and added a theatrical effect. Kiriko’s work succeeds in illuminating the reality of medicine,” says Jones.
“In the blood collection room, I created a cartoon panel that tells the story of blood being transported to various locations by scientists for examination”, says Kubo.
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Making treatment memories positive
Kubo’s “Gang” has become famous as a successful example of the use of art in medical facilities, and clients often ask for similar efforts. “The problem is that every hospital can’t copy Evelina,” say Williams.
On the other hand, as Kubo notes, “The designs of Art in Site are wonderful. I always look forward to seeing how my drawings are put together. It’s my job to tell stories through pictures, so that’s what I do as a manga artist.”
In May 2023, Kubo’s project at Evelina Children’s Hospital Day Surgery was completed. Space- themed art is scattered throughout the building, and astronauts explain world myths and legends relating to constellations, as well as scientific knowledge about the galaxy.
“With the power of art and design, we can make memories of treatments positive,” says designer Knox. This is an attempt to make a child’s day special — to make it a pleasant memory of space, and the cosmos, as well as one of having their injuries healed.
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Art as Manners for Patients
In the UK, the NHS system provides citizens with free healthcare. Yet it is in jeopardy due to rising healthcare costs and a shortage of workers. During the writing of this peice, there were also strikes by doctors, nurses and ambulance drivers.
Under such circumstances, Peter Shenai explains the significance of using medical budgets for art. “Although art makes up a small portion of a hospital’s total budget, it makes an important contribution to front-line care of patients. There are many testimonies and statistics that in psychiatric wards, a bright environment brings hope, and speeds up recovery. It may sound counter-intuitive but art is a very efficient investment. The alternative — a stark, uninspiring, ostensibly “pure functional” space — often leads to emotional and practical problems further down the line, which ends up costing more and doing harm to patients.”
Co-director Jones recalls being taken aback when a young patient said, “Doctors are very kind people. If such kindness is reflected in the hospital environment, the reality of treatment can be changed.”
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