read Mental Wellbeing Arts & Culture

International mental health exhibition running at ArtScience Museum till Feb 26, 2023

MENTAL: Colours of Wellbeing features 24 exhibitions and large-scale installations.

Fitri Mahad

Probably the only person that likes to hear the koels go ‘uwu’.

Published: 9 September 2022, 5:56 PM

The ArtScience Museum is holding an international mental health exhibition from now till Feb 26, 2023.

MENTAL: Colours of Wellbeing features 24 exhibitions and large-scale installations, including five by local artists. The collection is curated by the ArtScience Museum and Science Gallery Melbourne at the University of Melbourne.

To embrace the notion that every mental health journey is unique, there is no preset path for visitors to take nor a specific order to observe the installations.

The exhibition covers four themes: Connection, Exploration, Expression and Reflection. These themes challenge visitors to consider the meaning of being human and to change how they view “society as a whole”.

Notable works on display include Wheel, an exhibition by artist Hiromi Tango and neuroscientist Emma Burrows that explores the effect of exercise on one’s mood.

It consists of a giant hamster wheel and a handwheel that visitors can use at their own pace. Afterwards, they can review data on how their mood changes before and after the activities.

Both wheels are equipped with sensors that monitor participants’ activity. PHOTO CREDIT: MARINA BAY SANDS

Thoughtforms is an exhibition by Dr Indae Hwang the late Dr Kellyann Geurts.

It creates a 3D memento “from one’s mind” using an EEG headset that visitors can wear which records their “thoughts, observations, dreams, feelings and memories” in real-time.

The recorded data will then be physically “formed” through digital imaging and 3D printing.

The exhibition continues the artistic tradition of materialising mental experiences by visualising them outside a person’s head. PHOTO CREDIT: MARINA BAY SANDS

Local artist Alecia Neo’s exhibition, Between Earth and Sky, looks into the contributions of caregivers who often deal with the emotional and financial weight of caring for loved ones with mental health conditions.

The exhibition consists of a video and several kites. The video displays self-choreographed performances by caregivers, while the kites have photographs of the clothing of each caregiver and their loved ones on them.

Alecia collaborated with movement artists to aid caregivers in their self-choreographed performances. PHOTO CREDIT: MARINA BAY SANDS

During the course of the exhibition, there will also be tours and programmes related to the exhibition.

Guided exhibition tours go for $5 per ticket and can be pre-booked online. Same-day exhibition tickets will be required for the tour. Art and wellness workshops with the Singapore Association of Mental Health go for $35 per ticket.

There will also be a masterclass by Singaporean artist Lee Yi Xuan on mindful drawing and grounding techniques at $35 per participant. It includes a facilitated visit to the main exhibition.

MENTAL: Colours of Wellbeing tickets are priced at $18 for Singapore Residents and $21 for a standard ticket. More information on the exhibits, programmes and ticketing details can be found at the ArtScience Museum’s website.