Fragments of Recovery

29 April 2026 2:30 to 5pm, Maison Neuve

Fragments of Recovery is a workshop connected to an interdisciplinary research project led by Roberto Santaguida, 2025-2026 Research-Creation in oncology and immunology – ICI/Iméra chairholder that examines experiences of illness, uncertainty and recovery. Registration by April 26th is mandatory to participate.

Reflecting on partial or incomplete recoveries

Fragments of Recovery is a workshop connected to a research and artistic project developed at Iméra. It begins from the observation that illness and recovery rarely follow a straight line. Experiences of recovery often remain partial or unresolved and unfold through interruptions and uncertainty. The project works within these conditions, using image and sound to think alongside experiences that resist easy summary.

Through a series of simple creative activities involving listening, writing and short video observations, participants are invited to reflect on how fragments and partial knowledge shape the way we perceive and understand experience.

What to expect during this workshop

During the session, participants take part in a small number of simple exercises focused on observation and attention, exploring how experience shifts when expectations of a specific outcome fall away.

The session begins with a short selection of materials from the project. Participants encounter fragments drawn from the research and spend a few minutes sitting with the questions that guide the work. How do we respond when an experience remains unresolved? What happens to attention when something stays incomplete?
Participants then work with short phrases taken from everyday language related to illness and recovery. By altering the order of words or adjusting punctuation, participants observe how small changes affect tone and meaning. The exercise invites a close attention to language and to the way meaning shifts when its structure moves.
The workshop also includes a short observational video exercise using a phone. Participants record a brief fixed image or a repeated gesture. The emphasis rests on duration and on the act of noticing rather than on documentation.
The workshop concludes with a shared conversation reflecting on the experience of working with fragments and unfinished gestures. This discussion opens a broader reflection on how artistic practice may suggest different ways of approaching recovery and experience.

Practical information

Date: Wednesday April 29th, from 2:30pm to 5pm
Location: Maison des Astronomes conference room, Iméra, 2 place Leverrier 13004 Marseille
This event requires registration. (Maximum 10 people)
Public: open to students, researchers, artists, and members of the public, and no previous artistic experience is required.
Language: the workshop will take place in English.
Additional information: Participants may bring their own phone for a short observational video exercise.