Creators with experience of mental illness and sympathetic artists joined together in a project subtitled “Our souls are ours.” The exhibition of twenty authors at Open Letohradská 10 in Prague 7 will present paintings, graphics, objects, and visual art. The exhibition will run until the end of April and will be free of charge every Sunday through Thursday from 3:00 to 7:00 p.m. A guided tour can be arranged for groups.

In addition to the paintings, graphics, and objects, there will be an audiovisual psychocabaret in the gallery, including the so-called psycholamp by designer Anna Marešová and director Klára Jakubová. You will be able to experience for yourself what it feels like to be a person with schizophrenia. There will also be a screening of Divadélka F, where people authentically portray their own diagnosis. The puppets were made by workers at the sheltered workshops of Domov pro mentálně postižené Harcov in Liberec.

Anna-Marie Neduhová

The selection of works was overseen by Jiří Machalický, former director of the National Gallery and curator of NoD’s Experimental Space. The exhibition will also be presented by Fokus Praha founder and director Pavel Novák. He is currently nominated for the award “Osobnost roku,” which is awarded by the British ambassador in the Czech Republic.

People with artistic talent are significantly more at risk of mental illness. This reality, along with sensitive awareness of social contexts, gives artists the ability to bear witness to the need for psychiatric care reform in the Czech Republic. The development of community services and the “deinstitutionalization” of the system can help with prevention and timely, dignified treatment without the loss of social ties.

The gallery space on Letohradská Street was provided by the Linhart Foundation, which supports Skupina F. The organization of the event is supported by the editorial office of Česká galerie and its parent organization, Fokus Praha.

Skupina F aims at destigmatizing people with mental illness. More than two-thirds of Skupina F are people with experience of mental illness. The remaining third are people who strive to change stereotypes in today’s society.

More: https://www.ceskegalerie.cz/cs/skupina-f