In the year 2000 photographer Hermann Capor began his collaboration with Verena, a young woman who, shortly before she was due to take her school-leaving exam, had to undergo surgery. She awoke from the anaesthesia to discover that her body had a long scar, and a colostomy bag. At Verena’s initiative, Capor documented the course of her disease over the next three years until her recovery. Inspired by Modigliani and other role models the artist created intimate stage settings for the young woman, addressing the discrepancy between the erotic figure and the visible signs of serious illness, transcending the taboo of gazing at physical defects and their depiction. The comprehensive documentation section of this exceptional book is accompanied by diary-like sequences of entries penned by both the protagonist herself and the artist.

Hermann Capor, * 1948 in Vienna, Austria. Lives and works in Vienna and abroad.