Museum Dr. Guislain (Gent, 28-1-2007)

Rating:	★★★★★
Category:	Other

A visit that was long overdue! This museum is quite unique because it's a museum about the history of psychiatry which is still in use a psychiatric institution. The building(s) itself are very beautiful and reminiscent of psychiatric hospitals in Victorian England.

You may think it will be quite boring but they aren't just showing something about the history of psychiatry. This museum is showing you art! Yes indeed!
The museum also has the greatest and most interesting collection of outsider art in Belgium and probably on this planet.

There were two special exhibits the day we visited. The first one was called '"Madness is Female" (waanzin is vrouwelijk) and showed us creations from women in mental institutions around the 1900's, mostly from German-speaking countries. A German from that age called Hans Prinzhorn collected these works from psychiatric patients, male and female. But the works from the females haven't been showed that much.
The creations are interesting, weird, touching and beautiful. You can really see how difficult it was (and still is!) for women to have a mind of their own and to do and want things that are not considered 'feminine' by society.

The second exhibit was called "Beyond Good and Evil" (voorbij goed en kwaad) which showed art and objects about the good and evil in man. Some great works (see the picture by French artist Francis Marshall) and some disturbing scenes (the electrocution of an elephant)...

This exhibit and all the works they have recently acquired from Francis Marshall are still being exhibited un till 29-4-2007. The museum is well worth a visit and we'll definitely be back when they have another nice exhibit!