Between Poor Images and Biopolitics: A Critical Study of Wall Scratchings at San Lazzaro's Cells

Abstract

This study presents the first comprehensive analysis of the signs carved into the walls of the Lombroso Pavilion, a section of the former San Lazzaro psychiatric hospital in Reggio Emilia, now housing the Museum of the History of Psychiatry. These engravings are examined as material artefacts and visual records of human expression under extreme conditions of confinement, using extensive new photographic documentation specifically taken for this project. The pavilion is initially situated within the history of the structure, with attention to the attitudes of the institution towards the patients and their conditions. The research further explores the themes of the etchings and their complex layers of meaning. The materiality of the scratchings is addressed through a multidisciplinary lens, as surfaces become dynamic, interactive spaces of creative expression, with ethical and human implications. The signs are then contextualised within 20th century outsider art movements, like Jean Dubuffet’s Art Brut. Finally, the research proposes a methodological framework influenced by Grusin's notion of "radical mediation," advocating for transparency in interpretative practices and the inclusion of multiple perspectives. This approach preserves the complexity and richness of these human expressions, challenging both historical and contemporary understandings in the fields of art discourse and visual culture.