Lize Rubens Discobolus

Sarajevo

What is the weight of your Discobolus?

I confess: this book is not about bodybuilding. Well, not exclusively. It is about the aesthetics and mental strength underlying the sport. About the pursuit of unattainable perfection, the emergence of ideals of beauty and their influence. About mental strength and inner focus. About everyone’s particular Discobolus.

I alternate between conflicting thoughts. Extreme perseverance is often astonishing as well as alarming. I am fascinated by this paradox, many questions simultaneously fight for a place in my head. I project this idea onto our daily actions and thinking and ask myself: is overcoming inner insecurity a legitimate or deceptive driving force for achievement? Why is it that we associate so much happiness with the beauty we pursue? Does the gain in self-esteem outweigh the damage to the body or psyche? Is our outer façade our daily stage performance? What lurks beneath the skin? In the quest for mental strength, inner focus and personal balance, do we also take into account the proverbial ‘backpack’ of experiences that have scarred us? And will that backpack get lighter in time, or are we like a whale that would collapse under its own weight on land... What is the weight of your Discobolus?

– Extract text by Lize Rubens

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

Binding Paperback

Measurements 225 x 165 mm

Weight 0,50 kg

Language EN

Number of pages 176

Book Design Tina De Souter

Anniek Snoeijs Bloom

“What day is it?” asked Pooh. “It’s today,” squeaked Piglet. “My favorite day,” said Pooh. - A.A. Milne

Sexual transgressive behavior is a major social problem anywhere in the world and one that is terribly taboo. I had to deal with such a traumatic experience myself. For 7 years I did not dare to talk about it. Through making this book, I managed to talk about this experience more easily. ‘Bloom’ contains photos of my own healing process. The pictures show feelings I was dealing with throughout the process. The dark photos represent the somber and difficult moments and the light photos represent hope and healing.

My book also shows 11 portraits of women who had to deal with sexual transgressive behavior too. Some of the women wanted to share their story in the book. The unidentifiable portraits depict the taboo surrounding this subject as where the plain portraits show strength and courage. All the women who participated in this project played an incredibly important role in my healing process. Because of this, I have found hope and strength again.