Photographer reveals ‘disturbing’ side effects of COVID-19 Vaccine.
Part of the exhibition on display at Format Festival. Shown in Derby University.
Photographer Linda Alterwitz has revealed ‘disturbing’ side effects relating to heat from the COVID-19 vaccine through a series of images exhibited at Format Festival.
One of the many exhibitions currently being shown at Format Festival, is this one by photographer Linda Alterwirtz called ‘Injection Site: Making the Vaccine Visible’ showing arms of participants who have been injected with the COVID-19 Vaccine across Nevada, Las Vegas.
Format Festival is an ‘International Photography Festival’ that showcases the ‘best photography and lens-based media’. Every year, the festival takes over the city of Derby and plants exhibitions across the city centre. Each year is based on separate themes, this year the theme was ‘Conflicted’.
Linda, whose work specialises in topics such as ‘envisioning the unseen rhythms of the human body’, has used a method which uses thermal imaging to see after effects from the COVID-19 Vaccine. These ranged from 1 hour after being vaccinated to 10 days. The photographed area is where the injection was administered.
The project was inspired by Linda’s neighbour who was complaining of pain in the injection site 9 days after being vaccinated. This is where she photographed them with the thermal camera and what inspired the rest of the project.
In total, Linda managed to photograph 130 people across the span of 2 years (2021 – 2023). All the participants have now all been collated into one long grid.
Those involved had been given whichever vaccine was available at the time in Nevada. These were either: Moderna, Pfizer, and Johnson and Johnson. Linda kept a note of these along with how long after each participant was vaccinated before taking the photograph. No participant complained of any any other health issues with the vaccine.
Within her work, Linda uses ‘photography, collage and interactive methods’. This was evident when there was an opportunity for viewers of the exhibition to write their own views on the COVID Vaccine and weather they chose to get the vaccinated or not.
The responses posted by viewers of the exhibition. All opinions on the COVID-19 Vaccine.
Responses ranged from supporting the vaccine to being against it. One person wrote down that they got the vaccine to ‘get better 5G’ on their phone.
There were also pre-printed quotes around the exhibition. These responses were a mixture of support and against across all different age ranges. Talya, age 9 said that she wanted to get the vaccine to keep her body safe from COVID.
Pre-printed responses that formed a part of the exhibition. All opinions on the COVID-19 Vaccine.
Since being published, this body of work has had mixed responses. Linda told me that emotions ranged from ‘rejoicing, repulsion, relief, anger, acceptance or refusal’. This work was able to create a ‘disturbance’ which then led to further conversations about the vaccine in which Linda was involved with.
The objection of this project was to create a ‘safe space’ to start a conversation discussing conflicting points of view regarding the vaccine. This was achieved with the responses to the work.
The conversation has also carried on in the various galleries this project has been shown where viewers were also able to get involved – including Format ‘25.
This work has brought people together, not to argue but to feel safe to share their thoughts where they won’t be judged.
‘Injection Site’ along with many other exhibitions is on show at Format Festival from the 13th to the 31st March 2025.
