'Dragon Pharmacy' by Masatoshi Noguchi at Ventilator, Berlin

I am a mystical beast. Well known from the very far east to the deepest west. My endless tail with its wet, cold skin and scales surrounds the entire globe and your head. There is no way to hide, my power is omnipresent and will always find you.

I don’t exist in the physical world, my shape just appears in your mirage and in the flow of your blood. I will incarnate in your own flesh and activate my supernatural power of healing, leaving your mind paralyzed by just a glimpse of me.

All your arias to praise me burst like a bubble, and you are left with a fractional knowledge of the magic power of nature. Gather my traces, look into my throat and feel the dragon’s teeth.

Dragon Pharmacy continues Noguchi’s exploration of the hidden and the mystical. As part of the healing process, ritual played an important role. Many different forms of medication were developed on a religious or spiritual base, which were commonly considered reasonable.

At the pharmacy, a variety of medications are offered, to be selected at your convenience. The pharmacy gathers knowledge of different kinds of remedies: ginger, aloe vera and cocaine. Your choice depends on your belief and in turn, your belief affects your healing process. One thing the pharmacy and the dragon have in common is that they are both associated with supernatural abilities. Like the dragon, healing is reinforced by our belief in imaginary powers.

The dragon, a symbol which exists in many given cultures and societies, doesn’t fit into one single coherent fantasy, but a pervasive symbol in a variety of shapes. In the west, it is associated with evil, while in the far east it is a symbol of fortune and wisdom. However, it is surely a symbol of power, and dealing with the dragon is a double-edged sword.