Art and Mental Health Meet at Hauser & Wirth London’s North Gallery
Several initiatives that intersect art and mental well-being have generated headlines in the past few years, as again and again, science proves that art is good for us. Various studies have shown the impact of creative activities not only on the mind but also on the holistic self. Making art seems to strengthen the connections between minds and bodies, boosting self-awareness and promoting well-being. Art, when supported and promoted on broader scales, is similarly good for communities.
Hauser & Wirth London recently renewed its collaboration with mental health charity Hospital Rooms and has transformed the North Gallery into a live workshop space for the organization’s “Digital Art School” program. When asked about the potential of bringing this type of project inside an art gallery space, Niamh White, a co-founder of Hospital Rooms, told Observer that bringing the initiative, which was designed specifically with and for people with severe mental illness, into the gallery is a “radical act” and unique opportunity. “Too often, creative provision for people receiving care is poorly resourced and hard to access. Here at the gallery, we have been able to apply huge value, attentiveness, detail and care in bringing this program to life”
The multilayered project, simply titled “Hospital Rooms,” has turned Hauser & Wirth London into an immersive oasis for creativity and mindfulness, with live creative sessions hosted by artists like Abbas Zahedi, Shepherd Manyika and Eileen Cooper RA. Here, all visitors, regardless of background or health status, can create their own art using provided materials while lounging on beanbag chairs that mirror the artworks on the walls. An adaptation of a Nengi Omuku work originally created for Hellesdon Hospital in Norfolk graces the floor, and video and other documentation show visitors new models and methods to humanize mental health spaces.
“Our art materials are beautiful, the space is serene and the artist tutors rival those in any major international art school,” White said. “While the show is up, we’ve sent the same art materials and the online program to every mental health hospital in England and encouraged patients to take part from their wards. It is an opportunity to show how we can do better: how art, culture and creativity can help us imagine new experiences for people when they need support with their mental health and to show that they matter.”
Do Ho Suh, <em>Family Cuddle</em>, 2023; Foud Spot Color Lithograph Printed on Fabriano Tiepolo, 38.5 x 30cm / 15.16 x 11.81 in (framed).">“Our partnership with Hospital Rooms demonstrates our attention to our communities and responsibility to others,” Debbie Hillyerd, senior director of learning at Hauser & Wirth, told Observer. “We are two organizations that share the same values: artists at the center, believing everyone deserves to experience the transformative power of art and the care of people and the environment.”
“Hospital Rooms” will culminate in a live fundraising auction on September 11, hosted in partnership with Bonhams at Hauser & Wirth London, that will continue online on the auction house’s website. The sale will feature José Parlá’s beautiful watercolors, a delicate drawing by Korean artist Do Ho Suh, a stunning portrait by Ryan Mosley, two prints by Billy Childish and other works donated by established artists, which are on view at the gallery for the duration of the exhibition.
Since the launch of the collaboration, Hospital Rooms and Hauser & Wirth have jointly raised over £725,000, which will help the charity deliver a series of ambitious new projects in NHS mental health hospitals across the U.K. The funds will also be used to integrate contemporary art into hospital spaces, including Springfield Hospital in Tooting, Hellesdon Hospital in Norwich and Sandwell’s Children and Adolescent Mental Health Service, while also extending the impact of the Digital Art School into 750 mental health sites across the U.K.
“This collaboration is not just about us giving resources and spreading the word to our audiences; it’s a continual learning process about access to quality art, a democratic approach to wellbeing, and ways in which together we can help change policy,” Hillyerd added. “From hospitals involving artists in the beginning stages of their builds to workshops for artists, patients, carers and families. Art creates self-reflection and human connection, and together we can co-explore barriers to research and engagement, to empower through experiential learning, not exclusive education.”