Clinical Scales
Peter Kozak
By interrogating gaps in the support systems that are currently in place for people who are immunocompromised or disabled, Clinical Scales is a call for systemic change.
"As a chronically ill person, I am interested in voicing experiences that I’ve had engaging with social support systems to highlight the way disabled and immunocompromised people are easily forgotten. The work Clinical Scales is a result of thinking through these experiences, reflecting on the expectations and assumptions made on my physical capacity, and the way that I present myself in response to these pressures.
While the Coronavirus pandemic has raised some public awareness of the struggles of vulnerable individuals in our community, it has also shown that respectful and dignified support for these people has always been possible. The same politicians who claim to have empathy and care for those who are particularly vulnerable to the Coronavirus are also responsible for the public health and welfare policy of their governments. Clinical Scales questions punitive and belittling frameworks of social security, pushing for a future in which the needs and experiences of marginalised people are seen and acknowledged."
—Peter Kozak, 2020
Peter Kozak, Clinical Scales , 2020, digital video, filmed in collaboration with Charlie Hillhouse and Llewellyn Millhouse
Peter Kozak, Clinical Scales , 2020, digital video, 00:03:41. Filmed in collaboration with Charlie Hillhouse and Llewellyn Millhouse.
Thanks to 9 Degrees Brisbane for the generous use of their space in filming this work.
Peter Kozak is a Meanjin based artist who works primarily in video, performance and installation. Drawing on his experience living with chronic illness, Kozak’s works explore how sharing aspects of his experience that are embarrassing or uncomfortable can be used to challenge stereotypical ideas around what it is like to live with a chronic health condition.