Life Is Short, Art Long

Life is Short, Art Long
Art of Healing in Byzantium

Curated by Dr. Brigitte Pitarakis, Life Is Short, Art Long examined faith, magic, and rational medicine as methods of healing. It traced the “art of healing” from the foundations laid by Apollo and Asklepios, healers of antiquity, and Hippocrates and Dioscorides, the founders of rational medicine and also examined the roles of the physician saints. Among the other topics covered and objects on display were icons, reliquaries, and amulets, marble carvings, medical equipment, plants and herbs, medical and botanical manuscripts, and the centers of healing and miracle in Istanbul.

The exhibition revealed that the belief that illnesses were primarily caused by demons co-existed alongside a rational understanding of health and medicine based on the teachings of Hippocrates. The “art of healing” was practiced by physicians, saints, and magicians and involved practices ranging from surgery to daily cleansing of the body and the spirit to exorcism and the veneration of saints.

11 February – 26 April 2015

Curator:
Dr. Brigitte Pitarakis

Exhibition design:
Cem Kozar, Işıl Ünal