Sydänasioita: Dokumentaarinen ääniteos

The documentary audio art piece “Matters of the Heart” by Katarina Blomqvist premiered at the Kuule Minua seminar at G Livelab Helsinki on September 27, 2024. It explores the themes of dementia and listening through the lived experience of a couple navigating life with Alzheimer's disease. By focusing on their shared experiences, the work aims to illuminate what it means to live with Alzheimer's, showing both the difficulties and the opportunities for connection and understanding that emerge in their life situation. The person with Alzheimer's, with remarkable openness and joy, shares reflections on his life, describing his meaningful activities, his “matters of the heart”, and expressing deep love for his partner.
This work contributes to research on listening as a philosophical practice, particularly in the context of documentary encounters. It demonstrates the potential of interviews to establish a strong common ground with individuals with Alzheimer's disease, challenging assumptions about their ability to engage in meaningful dialogue. By creating a space for the interviewee’s world to unfold, “Matters of the Heart” reveals how listening can make the life worlds of those with Alzheimer's more comprehensible and accessible.
This Argumenta project funded by Finnish Cultural Foundation increases public discussion on dementia and related themes. The project organizes a series of multidisciplinary scientific seminars and workshops to promote multidisciplinary collaboration. The aim is to generate new, more comprehensive understanding about life with dementia, which can be used to make the society more dementia-friendly.

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