Endometriosis and adenomyosis are characterised by painful periods, just one of the symptoms of these illnesses. While the norms of sneaking a pad to the washroom, or wrapping menstrual products discreetly in newspapers are being challenged, and many menstruators have begun advocating for period leave, painful periods and menstrual illnesses remain largely invisible, not to forget misdiagnosed.

Because when we speak about pain, we talk about something subjective. Is it possible to fully understand someone’s pain? Korean-origin Australian interdisciplinary artist Eugenie Lee, who lives with endometriosis and adenomyosis, explains that chronic pain, for instance, is notoriously challenging to share because it is invisible and stubbornly evades communicability through words. So, what would a solution look like in terms of expression, visibility and validity of pain? Lee undertakes these issues in her installation McGill Pain Questionnaire.