A creative call to action for the future of mental health in Europe.
Exhibition – Workshops – meeting space
The works featured in in Threads of being explore how art and culture help us understand ourselves, each other, and the world around us. Through the exhibition visitors are invited into a conversation about mental health and the circumstances that shape it. They are asked: What can we learn about lived experience and creative expression? What would it take to build a Europe where we can all live a life of quality?
The link between arts and mental health has been well documented. Creative expression is one of the ways we can communicate and express our complex and intangible experiences. Art can help us mediate the relationship between our inner and outer lives; to better understand the world around us and what it means to be in it. Through art and culture, we can examine and appreciate what connects us and what divides us – the threads of being. The experience of being and creating together is in itself powerful and important.
What's on
Exhibition – 11th – 15th of December, Talk C.E.C, Chaussée de Wavre 143, Brussels
12 artists from across Europe examine the context of our lives and how it shapes our mental health.
The works you will find here explore a broad spectrum of interconnected issues, including relationships and community, discrimination, social inclusion, care, self-expression, living with chronic conditions, processing trauma, finding connection and identity. These themes reflect the complexity of mental health and the factors that influence it.
Vernissage – 11th December, 17:00 – 21:00
This exclusive evening will bring together leaders, advocates, and policy-makers to explore the intersection of art and mental health. Join us to connect, exchange insights, and discuss the essential role of people with lived experience across all fields, from the artistic to the policy level. Your presence will be key to emphasising the importance of building a Europe that genuinely addresses the needs of those experiencing mental health issues—by listening to, involving, and empowering them. Surrounded by exceptional artworks from across Europe, we invite you to take part in shaping a future where art, empathy, and policy converge to foster a more inclusive, supportive society.
Towards Braver Spaces – guided meditation and reading – Thursday, 12th of December at 12:30
As part of the Towards Braver Spaces collective, Tundé Adefioye leads a reflective guided meditation exploring identity, legacy, and connection. Beginning with a thought-provoking reading, this session invites participants to find stillness, connect with themselves, and reimagine their place within evolving societal power structures. Free entrance; all are welcome.
Mental Health Movies – Sunday 15th November 13:30 – 15:30
Four films will be shown:
La banyera – Spain (The bathtub)
Jury & public prize- Fiction at the International short film festival on mental health ‘Visionando’
Querida A – Spain (Dear A)
Jury prize- Documentary at the International short film festival on mental health ‘Visionando’
El Amoragaor – Spain
Public prize- Documentary at the International short film festival on mental health ‘Visionando’
– – Pause for refreshments —
On the other side of the day – Poland
Courtesy of Fundacja CZŁOWIEK/HUMAN Foundation
Our artistic jury
More than 80 works have been submitted from all over Europe. Meet the members of the independent jury who selected the 30 finalists displayed at the Talk C.E.C. from the 11th to the 15th of December.
- Melis Ari-Gurhanli, Association and member services – Welfare activities and multiculturalism, Mieli Mental Health Finland
-
Kornelia Kiss, Head of Culture and Health, Culture Action Europe
- Marina Mussapi, Strategy Manager, Moleskine Foundation
About Art and Mental Health
Arts and culture mediate the relationship between our inner and outer lives. They give us ways to express our inner thoughts and feelings, and to understand the world around us. Creative expression is one of the ways we can appreciate what connects us and what divides us, and provides a guide to the human experience.
The link between arts and mental health has been well documented. Mental health and well-being are strongly rooted in the world around us and our place in it, and creative expression is one of the ways we can communicate and express our complex and intangible experiences.
Young Europeans and artists are increasingly open about their experience of mental health and how it relates to their creative output. Yet talking about mental health is still stigmatised, and people who experience mental health issues are still discriminated against – this stigma and discrimination then adds to the burden of those already in distress.
The Venue
TALK C.E.C is an independent space dedicated to cultural and artistic experiences in the heart of Brussels. Located in the former Demeuldre factory (a listed heritage site), on the border of the European and Matongé districts, we are a veritable laboratory for ideas and experimentation, bringing together art, science, history and contemporary issues. For TALK C.E.C, art has a real power to influence our perception of the world and increase our awareness of it. A genuine medium for reflection, art provides a means of communicating about contemporary social issues, enabling us to take action to change habits and behaviour. At TALK C.E.C., the spectator is the creator of his or her own experience, encouraging reflection, awareness and commitment.
Practical information
- When: from the 11th to the 15th of December; Thu, Fri, Sun: from 12:00 to 17:00; Sat: from 12:00 to 18:00
- Where: Talk C.E.C (Créateur d’Expériences Culturelles), Chaussée de Wavre 143, 1050 – Ixelles, Bruxelles
- Price: the exhibition is free of charge; no reservation needed.
- Contact: for more information, please contact a.latham@mentalhealtheurope.org
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