“When we hear the phrase ‘mental health,’ we often think of a somewhat negative impression, as if there's a problem that needs to be addressed. But just like how brushing our teeth prevents cavities, couldn't we think of caring for our mental health as just another part of our daily routine?”

Jolien, from the Museum of the Mind, shared this insight during her talk organized under the Collective Amazements Troupe (CAT).
 
One of the two museums that make up the Museum of the Mind, “Het Dolhuys,” is located in Haarlem, Netherlands, and occupies a building that has stood for over 700 years, originally serving as a psychiatric hospital and also used as an isolation facility. This unique museum juxtaposes artifacts and medical instruments from its past life as a psychiatric hospital with contemporary art.  This curated experience aims at visitors not only to confront and dismantle the stigmas associated with mental illness but also to provoke thoughtful contemplation on the nature of mental care today.

Through this thoughtful assembly, the museum encourages visitors to embark on a journey of self-discovery and inner exploration. Jolien, in her role at the museum, holds the relatively novel position of a “Mental Health Coordinator,” a title still unfamiliar in many museums worldwide. With her background in social welfare, she is committed to creating “spaces where everyone can have a voice.” In her efforts to bridge mental health and art, she focuses on crafting programs from three specific perspectives:

- Prevention
- In the time of need: providing care and support when needed
- Resilience
 
By incorporating such themes into art, program participants can more naturally express their inner thoughts and feelings. This approach fosters dialogues that go beyond words, at times utilizing sounds and tactile experiences. These activities are intrinsically linked to mental health.

What takes place here is not “treatment” but rather “prevention” and “resilience.”

In recent years, the practice of "art prescriptions" has been gaining momentum in museums around the world. In countries like Canada and Belgium, an innovative approach has been implemented where doctors prescribe museum tickets to patients dealing with stress, depression, and other mental health concerns, drawing significant attention.

Instead of undergoing traditional medical consultations and treatments, patients are encouraged to simply spend time in a museum and deeply engage with the artworks. Immersing oneself in art facilitates the discovery of the nuances in various emotions. This process is believed to stimulate the mesolimbic pathway, also known as the brain's reward system, and involves complex cognitive functions. (Footnote 1) For some, such artistic experiences can play a crucial role in regaining mental well-being.

The dearMe project, run by AIT since 2016, has also been implementing art appreciation programs that bring together a diverse range of children, youths, and adults for “deep looking” into art. Since the start of CAT in 2021, the initiative has expanded to include collaborations with children of various backgrounds, including those with Down syndrome and autism, who participate in Atelier A. Alongside the art appreciation programs, the collaboration with Jolien has evolved to include workshops that incorporate sound and physical sensations into the expression, enhancing the overall experience.

Looking at artworks and expressing oneself often start with an appreciation of colors, shapes, and textures, but soon, as this process unfolds, it evolves into a narrative where individual express their lived experiences and thoughts through outputs that transcend mere words. Engaging in this process of “looking and listening” to each other is an exploration of understanding others and, in turn, embarking on a journey to discover oneself, akin to swimming through the mind.

Beyond this, it becomes an experiment in extending one's imagination to the broader contexts of society and the era we inhabit, as well as into even larger realms.

​

With this perspective, art experiences shared among people from all walks of life cannot be simply reduced to the term "mental health." Above all, they should bring a new critical eye to the works and the criteria by which they are judged, serving as a “force” that transforms and updates existing values.

As part of its future direction, CAT aims to create a "blended" team where children, youths, and members with various characteristics are involved not only as participants but also as planners and facilitators. This blending process, which can sometimes lead to confusion and surprise, tests the tolerance of all involved. It also serves as a means to counteract the divisions and categorizations prevalent in today's society. Indeed, within this spectrum of emotional and mental diversity, there might lie a more affluent foundation for exploring the intersection of art and mental health.