Unica Zürn's 1958 Notebook 'The House of Illnesses' Published as Facsimile

A facsimile of German artist and writer Unica Zürn's 1958 notebook, 'The House of Illnesses,' has been released by Atlas Press, translated by Malcom Green. Written during a jaundice episode, the work documents Zürn's early awareness of mental instability, which led to her psychiatric hospitalization two-and-a-half years later. It blends spidery text and intricate drawings, framing illness as a dwelling with rooms named for human organs, some safe and others forbidden. Zürn describes creating the notebook to 'remain ill for a while,' exploring tensions between self-control and medical authority, body and mind, and the debilitating effects of love. Her life shifted after meeting Hans Bellmer in 1953, when she moved from Berlin to Paris; Bellmer encouraged her automatic drawing and anagram poetry, leading to international exhibitions. Zürn also served as Bellmer's 'living doll,' modeled in photographs of her body bound in rope, echoing themes of alienation and objectification in her notebook. The work, styled as a dark fairytale, reveals Zürn's self-awareness, as she seeks advice to avoid madness and reflects on neglecting responsibilities tasting 'like sweet cream.' It concludes with her belief that one must believe in something to not go mad.