2024-04-25
Art and mental health is a connection that is realized in many ways. Artists often draw inspiration from the states they experience, externalizing their feelings in their works, thus giving vent to their emotions in a self-therapeutic way. In turn, the recipients of these works can find some solace, improving their well-being by engaging their senses with the artists' aesthetic vision.
"Mindscapes" is a new international project that aims to change the way we think about mental health and shape valuable dialogue around it. The project is inspired by the UK Wellcome Foundation's Mental Health programme, dedicated to supporting exploratory research into mental health, infectious disease, and climate change. Through a range of arts and culture activities, the Mindscapes campaign aims to spread the word about how different people and communities, in different sociological and political contexts, are finding solutions to mental health problems.
The Minscapes initiative has invited prestigious institutions, including the Museum of Art and Photography in Bengaluru, the Gropious Bau in Berlin, the Brooklyn Museum in New York, and the Mori Art Museum in Tokyo. Each of these venues will host exhibitions inspired by the research undertaken by the artists involved in the project.
Indu Antony - an Indian artist whose performances, installations and photographs focus on the exploration of spaces and their elusive relationship with the body. In "Mindscapes" she will address the taboo of mental health in India, creating a comfortable zone for sharing individual experiences.
Kader Attia – a visual artist of Algerian-French origin, proposes art that combines political, social and cognitive fields. Working in Berlin, he will explore the impact of historical events on collective memory and intergenerational trauma.
Guadalupe Marvilla – a Salvadoran artist, draws from his experiences as a migrant to reflect on the healing process of traumatic experiences. At the Brooklyn Museum, Marvilla will create "The Healing Room," addressing trauma related to the pandemic and the social anxiety surrounding the Black Lives Matter movement.
Yuki Iliyama – a Japanese artist experienced in collecting individual accounts, (for example through her work on the installation "100 Living Stories"), will document the stories of people with experiences of domestic violence while residing in Tokyo