Palliative Care – Images of Reality

Palliative care means making every day as worth living as possible. The photographs on display at the Wasserkirche, presented by Palliaviva, capture moments of closeness, against the backdrop of the realisation that life is finite.

Under the title ‘Palliative Care – Images of a Reality’, Palliaviva and the photographer Gaëtan Bally tackle a subject that many prefer to avoid: the finiteness of life and the question of how we ourselves come to terms with it. With his camera, the photographer accompanies the Palliaviva team as they care for people with incurable illnesses in their own homes.

As part of the photography project, authentic and moving images are created that capture the everyday reality of palliative care. The photographs convey the serenity of many people who have accepted that their lives will inevitably come to an end. The wish of many of those affected is to show what it is really like. They want the images to have an impact beyond their own deaths. That is why Palliaviva’s photography project is well received by those who are ill and their families.

The images capture how, even in the face of a terminal illness, it is possible to feel closeness and connection and to enjoy the best possible quality of life in the time remaining. Ideally, palliative care should begin early on – and not just weeks or days before death.