WORLD IBD DAY - poetry slam

Plein Publiek, Brussels

Crohn en colitis ulcerosa VZW hosted a unique event for World IBD Day 2025 at Plein Publiek BXL featuring a poetry slam and conversations to break taboos around Inflammatory Bowel Diseases and Crohn’s disease: “Breaking Taboos, Talking About It”.

For this event we were asked to create something eye-catching, playful, and symbolic. The result? Two giant, life-size toilet rolls made entirely out of cardboard — a nod to the daily struggles of people living with this disease. 

The final result stood proudly in the streets during the awareness campaign, proving that even the most ordinary everyday object can become a powerful symbol — especially when built with care, creativity, and a bit of cardboard magic.

Design and building

Turning flat cardboard sheets into smooth, curved cylinders isn’t as simple as it might seem. We had to find the sweet spot between bending the material enough to form a perfect circle, without cracking or damaging it.

Experimenting with different techniques, some patience and precision, we managed to shape each roll with a diameter of 1 meter beautifully.

Staying true to the circular form, keeping the proportions of a real toilet roll in account while keeping the structure strong and stable for outside installation.