A unique learning experience, Bethlem Museum of the Mind is tucked away on the grounds of Bethlem Royal Hospital. It seeks to provide a space for museum-goers to learn about the history of mental healthcare.
The museum consists of Bethlem Gallery and Bethlem Museum of the Mind. The gallery has existed since 1997, while the Museum of the Mind is fairly new, having opened in 2015.
I did not know what to expect when I arrived at the museum. I thought it may be a small room with a few pieces of artwork. I was completely wrong; I ended up spending a few hours there, taking in all of the artwork and information that the museum had to offer.
I first walked through the Bethlem Gallery, where the current exhibit is Art & Protest: What’s there to be mad about? The collection was curated by Dolly Sen, who has become a mental health activist after her own struggles with psychiatric issues. The exhibit features work from artists who suffer from mental health issues. Most of the work is a protest against the system that has attempted to treat them of their mental ailments.
The work in this exhibit is simply profound. You can sense the effort that has gone into creating these works for these artists through their clever and emotional messaging.
One piece that really moved me was Vince Laws’ DWP Deaths Make Me Sick - Mark Wood, Leanne Chambers, Victoria Smith. Laws created these pieces live in 2012. They are about 6 foot by 4 foot in order to resemble a burial plot. Words are spray painted on bed sheets, telling the heart-wrenching stories of three people who ended up dying from improper treatment of their mental health issues.
Another piece that I found extremely impactful was Rachel Rowan Olive’s A is for Awkward. She wrote her own description for the piece, saying that she turned to creating artwork after having a breakdown in 2013.
A is for Awkward is the ABCs of what it’s like to have a mental illness and to receive treatment under the current healthcare system.
There exhibit had a documentary called In Chains by mental health activists the vacuum cleaner and Hana Madness. It lasted about twenty minutes and provided a glimpse into life at Istana KSJ, a mental health community in West Java, Indonesia. Normally I wouldn’t want to sit through a whole documentary in a museum, but In Chains was a riveting look into how there are people who are trying to rebuild mentally ill people’s lives in peaceful ways.
The Bethlem Gallery was probably my favorite part of my visit. Unfortunately, the Art & Protest gallery closes on 8 November.
The Museum of the Mind itself was also extremely informative and touching. The museum seeks to take you on a journey of diagnosis, treatment and recovery of mental illness. It also provides a history of Bethlem Royal Hospital, which has existed since 1247.
A profound piece of artwork in the museum was Elise Warriner’s The Anger Within, from 1993. This piece depicts Warriner’s battle with anorexia. In the description, she explains, “It is about the inability to express emotions on the outside, and the wish to totally isolate the mind from the heart and stomach. I see anorexia as a silent anger.”
Another profound part of the experience was entering into a quiet room that resembled a padded isolation room. Narratives of people who have stayed in Bethlem over the years played over a speaker, giving you the sense that you are trapped in solitary confinement.
The Wolfson Room is currently featuring an exhibit called Impatient! Stories of Service User Advocacy until 4 January 2020. Photos were not allowed to be taken in this exhibit. When you go, make sure you take a look at Miss Havisham’s Wedding Dress by Michelle Baharier; it’s a really interesting piece.
Bethlem Museum of the Mind is an important museum in today’s day and age. After many years of trying to cover up mental illness, the world is finally moving in the direction of erasing the stigma around mental health problems. According to the UK’s Office for National Statistics, about one in four British adults will experience mental health problems during any given year. Bethlem Museum of the Mind provides a space for people to visit and learn about mental health history. From there, you are able to leave with new knowledge about mental health, internalize the problems within the system and share your new knowledge with friends and family.
Bethlem Museum of the Mind and Bethlem Gallery are located on the grounds of Bethlem Royal Hospital on Monks Orchard Road in West Wickham. Admission is free. Groups may visit on Monday and Tuesday, and individuals are welcome from Wednesday through Friday.
