ANA REGO
Not being able to live but one life

Confronted with a traumatic event, after seeing my aunt get completely paralyzed and unable to communicate over an ischemic stroke – locked-in syndrome. I started questioning the concept of life itself and reflecting upon how our bodies and our consciousness take part in this intricate play. Locked inside themselves, these patients have no way to freely move, talk, chew, swallow or cough. They are only able to move their eyes and lids, but are fully aware, conscient. Secluded in a body they no longer own, they are alive in a “dead” body.
Today’s society has the technological sophistication to keep a body alive, but can we restore the most fundamental human abilities? I decided to approach this project through a poetic way, where the narrative is no longer attached to my own personal story, neither to my aunt as the main character. Instead, it addresses the duality of matter-mind and questions how technology has evolved in the ability to diagnose, and eventually replace body functions

Author
Ana Rego is a portuguese-based photographer. She is graduated in Medical Sciences, studied Photography in Porto and recently finished a master in Artistic Photography.
Driven by research-led and self-initiated documentary projects, Ana seeks to document thematics mainly inspired by social and medical issues and their consequences. By using the interdisciplinary and collaborative approach of art and science, she seeks to respond with innovative ways to emerging and ethical questions posed to today’s society. By creating narratives dealing with the potential risks and rewards inherent to biomedical technological development, Ana wants to exert an effect on how our society pledge with these consequences.
She has had projects in Afghanistan, Amazonas, Zimbabwe, East Timor and Portugal. Her work has been exhibited in Portugal (Oporto, Lisbon, Coimbra), East Timor, Budapeste and she won several awards.

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