The  Rules Are Broken

The installation “The Rules Are Broken” visualizes the experience of physical rejection - the moment when illness took over and the body no longer functioned as it once did. This work powerfully captures the turning point where pain, discomfort, fear, and loneliness became dominant. Through raw and confrontational imagery, the installation exposes the reality of living with chronic pain.

With this installation, Tatum Kempers seeks to make a deeply familiar yet rarely depicted feeling tangible. The amorphous, surreal portraits of the human body create a disturbing, almost alien-like world - a space where estrangement and vulnerability merge. It reflects the impact of illness, chronic pain, and the unsettling experience of inhabiting a body that can no longer be trusted.