PSYCHE

What if an exhibition wasn't only a place to show the outcomes of research, but a place where research happens?

PSYCHE explored the mind, brain and mental health across ten interactive exhibits, with lectures, workshops, masterclasses, tutorials and film screenings. We later showed works at the Wellbeing Summit in Bilbao, where they found an international audience.

Mental health is something we all share

PSYCHE moved between the brain, the mind and society: from the neuroscience of schizophrenia to the history of asylums in India; from the language we use for pain to the memories we invent; from games that let you step into another person's reality to a body extended by machines.

Working with clinicians from NIMHANS alongside artists, we wanted visitors to leave with less stigma and more curiosity: mental health not as a niche concern, but as part of being human.

A live experiment

With experimental psychologist Steven Frenda and artist Al Hopwood, the exhibition became a citizen science platform. False Memories of Fabricated News Events in India, run with The Wire, studied how false memories form around news events. Visitors took part, and the findings were revealed when the exhibition closed.

Mediation, reimagined

With our mediators we developed digital exploration pathways that adapted to what each visitor was interested in. It still shapes how I approach digital engagement.

CREDITS & SUPPORT

Presented by