In this group project, the theme was mental health awareness, with a specific focus on how the older generation often dismisses mental health as being overly sensitive, lazy, or made up. For this exhibition, we wanted to give visitors an experience of how a form of depression begins and how it can progress. To do this, we used a variety of materials to make the emotions and stages of depression more tangible.
The exhibition was designed as a spiral. At the entrance of the spiral, which symbolized the beginning of depression, we used soft, white materials. It feels like there isn’t much going on at this stage, but you can sense that you’re slowly being drawn into the spiral. As you move deeper into the spiral, the materials become harder and the environment darker, representing the increasing severity of the depression.
At the end of the spiral, you enter a small room. The walls of this room are covered with mirrors at eye level, so that visitors are confronted with themselves both literally and figuratively. Additionally, the walls are covered with negative words and phrases, representing the thoughts one might have during a depression and the process of facing oneself.
After this intense experience, you walk back out of the spiral. This symbolizes that, no matter how difficult things are or have been, there is always a way back out. The project ends with a positive message: recovery is possible.
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