Covet me, Care for Me was a durational performance on the 26th November, at the Wellcome Collection by Sheila Ghelani, part of Clod Ensemble's Anatomy Season of Performing Medicine. Delicate glass hearts containing nurse watches where arranged and displayed on the floor, offerings from the artist, giving heart-shaped pieces away to be broken and taken away, to be coveted by others.
Brittle replicas of her own heart maybe, or emotionally charged hosts of cherised belongings perhaps. Beautiful shells designed to receive violence, to crash under the hands of those who want to posses their insides. Clocks worn by nurses, ticking beside their heart while they perform their duty, to take care, to nurse, to love-albeit medically- the patients. Bodies in need of repair, in need of delicate hands to take care of them, to ammend them. Nurses that give, dedicated in the art of healing. Hearts that tick and sometimes need repair, hearts that ache, broken hearts.
Cherised objects, offerings, from me to you. Does something belonging to us become a body part? If we loose it, we physically feel the absence of a phantom limb. Sometimes there is prayer, to feel better, to fill better-the emptiness. Sometimes we regret what we gave away, others we believe it is a necessary sacrifice to bring what is longed to us, swaping fate with God. Breaking a little bit, showing our wound to invoque spiritual healing.
