Image courtesy of Diana Ali www.dianaali.comPA 299/10
An art exhibition that will challenge the convention of hearing voices as a negative symptom of mental illness has been launched at The University of Nottingham.
Voices, a visual arts exhibition at the Institute of Mental Health on The University of Nottingham Innovation Park, brings together works by 21 local, regional, national and international artists that intrigue, stimulate and question the notion of voices.
The exhibition is curated by Dr Victoria Tischler, arts coordinator at the institute in partnership with City Arts Nottingham.
Dr Tischler said: “Within psychiatry, those who hear voices are said to experience auditory hallucinations, a symptom associated with psychosis. It is estimated that four per cent of the British population hear voices.
“Yet we all experience voices in different ways; voices that may be tormenting and critical or guiding and inspiring. Many highly creative individuals report hearing voices and in some cultures such hallucinogenic experiences are seen as healthy and are revered.”
“Aside from the aesthetic function that this — the third Institute of Mental Health exhibition — fulfils, it gives voices to those marginalised and stigmatised by mental health difficulties. The exhibition showcases a diverse range of work related to voices, by individuals including patients, health professionals, artists and students. As Vincent van Gogh said: ‘If you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced.’”
The free exhibition runs from today, Wednesday November 3, to May 2011 Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm at the Institute of Mental Health, Sir Colin Campbell Building at The University of Nottingham Innovation Park on Triumph Road.
The Institute of Mental Health was launched in 2006 to help transform our understanding and treatment of mental illness and is a partnership between The University of Nottingham and NHS Nottinghamshire Healthcare Trust. One of the leading mental health institutes in the country, it offers leadership and innovation backed by world class research expertise.
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Notes to editors: More information about the Institute of Mental Health can be found on the web at www.institutemh.org.uk
Further information about the exhibition is also available on the City Arts Nottingham website at www.city-arts.org.uk
The University of Nottingham, described by The Times as “the nearest Britain has to a truly global university”, has award-winning campuses in the United Kingdom, China and Malaysia. It is ranked in the UK's Top 10 and the World's Top 75 universities by the Shanghai Jiao Tong (SJTU) and the QS World University Rankings.
The University is committed to providing a truly international education for its 39,000 students, producing world-leading research and benefiting the communities around its campuses in the UK and Asia.
More than 90 per cent of research at The University of Nottingham is of international quality, according to the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, with almost 60 per cent of all research defined as ‘world-leading’ or ‘internationally excellent’. Research Fortnight analysis of RAE 2008 ranked the University 7th in the UK by research power.
The University’s vision is to be recognised around the world for its signature contributions, especially in global food security, energy & sustainability, and health.