Healing or hurting – art projects in abandoned psychiatric hospitals in the Nordic countries

In the Swedish applicant’s own words:

• What inspired you to start the project?

Ulleråker is an older district in Uppsala characterised by the former psychiatric activities. Now it is a place that is rapidly changing and expanding. Several artists and cultural practitioners have established themselves and moved into the closed hospital.

We have met many committed residents and workers in the area. This made us curious to investigate whether there were similar places in the Nordic countries where art has become an important part of the disused hospital environment.

When we contacted the Museum of Contemporary Art in Roskilde and Kunsthall Dikemark in Asker, we immediately realised that we had a lot in common and that we could learn a lot from each other. Therefore, we decided to start a network for art institutions working in closed psychiatric hospital areas.

• What do you wish to accomplish with the project?

We want to strengthen and develop a Nordic network to influence urban planning and community development in the Nordic region. Together, we want to create space for more art in areas with abandoned psychiatric hospitals and develop methods and forms for working with art here.

In our seminar series, we will explore how art can enrich and develop the places for residents and visitors. We will compare conditions in the Nordic countries and highlight similarities and differences in how art relates to difficult memories and experiences. With the project we want to:

– Organise recurring seminars

– Develop methods and forms of work

– Create collaborations between art and psychiatry

– Influence social and urban development

• How is the planning and the preparation of the project going so far?

We are already in full swing planning the first seminar at St Hans Hospital in October 2025. During the seminar, we will focus on the role of the artist, and visitors will experience the area through the eyes of the artist.

We have already had several meetings with the Nordic networks and other partners. We are now continuing to plan the next two seminars at Kunsthall Dikemark in 2026 and at Hospitalet Ulleråker in 2027, where we will focus on the relationship between art and psychiatry and the role of art in place development.

Comment from the Fund

A conscious look at the shared history of psychiatric treatment in the Nordic countries, combined with a visionary attempt to put new perspectives on the relation between art and psychiatry, results in a well founded starting point of this project. Addressing the methods traditionally used in these abandoned hospitals, and investigating how the stories of these places live on today, solidifies both the historical and future perspective. Furthermore, the project seeks to contribute to the current discussion on how mental health is viewed and treated in the Nordic welfare state on the whole, further elevating the project’s relevance.