GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. — ArtPrize returns to Grand Rapids starting Sept. 18, and the international art competition and cultural event will bring hundreds of thousands of visitors.
Related: A look at what's planned for ArtPrize's return to Grand Rapids
One of the projects on display raises awareness for Type 1 Diabetes. Called "No Days Off," artist Ron Koole constructed a movable syringe sculpture and vial "trophy" with more than 1,150 insulin vials collected since his diagnosis.
Koole, who is from Jordan Station, Ontario, and now lives in Jenison, has lived with Type 1 diabetes for 52 years. He was diagnosed at age 16.
"Individually, these insulin vials are disposable medical objects – used, emptied, and discarded without ceremony. Together, they become a record of routine, discipline, and survival," Koole said in his artist statement.
According to Koole, he has had a lifelong passion for hockey and ice skating, and was an assistant coach at Calvin University in the early to mid-2000s.
He said the title of the piece is a reference to a memoir by Max Domi, a Toronto Maple Leafs player who also lives with Type 1 diabetes.
"The truth of that phrase rings clearly for anyone living with this disease. Daily self-management is a relentless, 24/7 proactive and reactive routine of balancing insulin, food and drink, physical activity, medications, hormones, and stress in order to maintain healthy blood glucose levels. There are no off days and no shortcuts. The emotional and mental load is often heavy and requires a strong, supportive team," Koole wrote in his artist statement.
According to Koole, he has saved every insulin vial since his diagnosis and began imagining this project decades ago. It features more than 1,150 insulin vials.
The syringe sculpture includes 590 vials, while the trophy sculpture features more than 560 vials. He said it took more than seven days to build with his wife, Ginny, and his sister, Nancy, whose husband and daughter also have Type 1 diabetes.
Why a syringe? Koole wrote, "Even though modern diabetes technology rarely requires syringes, the syringe represents the early years – pain, visibility, and the social weight of managing a chronic disease in public."
He said the trophy is inspired by the design of the Stanley Cup. "The trophy celebrates and honors both personal perseverance and scientific progress, and looks toward a future filled with hope for a cure. The bowl remains open, receiving newly used vials and technological devices as life continues."
"No Days Off" will be on display at Park Church throughout Art Prize.
