40 T/A

​

40 TOUCHES/AANRAKINGEN

​

This experience is based on the phenomenon of social deprivation. In other words the human need for affection. A phenomenon still used in the healing of mental and other health problems. The importance of affection was discovered in the most upsetting way in the 1940’s by psychoanalyst, René Spitz (1887-1974). He divided a group of 40 newborn babies in two. Both of the groups got fed with the same amount of food and stayed in a sanitized room, only one group weren’t looked at, were not touched and weren’t spoken to. After four months they broke off the experiment, because more than half of the test group babies died. The experiment proved the importance of affection for human’s health. Information that seems to be forgotten in our modern world, where instead of giving someone a pat on the back, we seem to prefer a ‘like’ on Facebook. And who needs the affection of a friend when you can have Instagram followers? 
This experience was designed to make people understand the impact of affection. To invite people to touch each other in order to understand the importance of touch.

​

TO PERFORM

​

For more information; studio.liekeli@gmail.com 

 

PAST PERFORMANCE

​

July 2019: VakLab Escaperoom - BKRK, Bokrijk, BE

Feb 2019: Design Atelier - SASK, Hasselt, BE
Aug 2018: Champdaction Labo - De Singel, Antwerpen, BE