P A - Small Folding Boats

Vernissage Saturday Jan 31, 11:30am
Till end of February
All proceeds from the sale will be donated
to the Jules Bordet Association

After undergoing surgery for a cancerous pancreatic tumour in December 2021, I began a long course of chemotherapy. Between January 19 and June 2, 2022, I received eighteen treatments at the Bordet Institute.

Before each session, and for every required blood test, I would stop at the reception desk to receive a ticket indicating where I needed to go.

While waiting, I tried to ease my anxiety and pass the time by folding that small piece of paper into a little boat.

The blood tests took place in a cramped room without natural light.
My exchanges with the nurses were brief and impersonal: a greeting, my name, my date of birth — and then goodbye.

One day, I offered one of these fragile paper boats to a nurse.
That simple gesture transformed a silent, clinical moment into a shared human experience.

From then on, the boats were no longer just a way to pass the time or calm my fears. They became small messengers — a way to create connection in a place often defined by isolation.
I began leaving them behind for the nurses, quiet reminders of care and presence.

Eventually, a new idea took shape.
What if these boats could continue their journey beyond the hospital?
By recreating them in plaster, they could form a new bond — this time with those who choose to carry one with them — while helping support cancer research.

P A (Dec 2025)

 

P A (born in Oran, Algeria 1941) is a young French artist based in Brussels. P A has cultivated a minimalist and cumulative approach to sculpture. P A is also active in cultural and patronage circles in Brussels.