Rouffach Hospital Center

This project started with the exhibition "L'eau dessinée" of the François Schneider Foundation, in the frame of BD2020. With the Foundation's team, the idea of creating an original illustration scenario was born. Stéphane Piatzszek, author and scriptwriter, has committed himself to this project, proposing a constructive alternative, both individual and collective. During 10 sessions from January to March 2020, 20 adults in psychiatric care from Rouffach Hospital Center have been engaged in the creation of a scenario illustrated by comic strips. In September 2020, a public exhibition on the theme of ocean pollution was opened with the artistic results of the patients. Stéphane Piatzszek's intention is to adapt the strength of this writing method to comics for an audience of non-professionals, in order to offer them something to highlight their aspirations, their dreams, their desires or their worries. The elaboration of a comic book scenario is anchored around the construction of a central character, with a strong identity and identifiable character traits. Each participant has created his or her own; each unique character will live an adventure and evolve according to what happens to him, the situations and encounters he will experience. The first difficulty lies in the writing of the comic strip; few words to express a lot or the art of ellipse. The second was to succeed in the illustrations, interpreting the story, with the constraint of only one idea per scene, in short, to propose a sequential narration in images. In the end the artists succeeded to overcome the challenge of this complex stylistic exercise.