YouAlberta
The CONNECTIONS exhibit, running Nov. 21, 2024, to June 22, 2025, at the Royal Alberta Museum (RAM), is a collection of artworks and scientific images that showcase aspects of neuroscience, brain diseases and mental health disorders, specifically highlighting the linkages between art and life.
The collection was developed to connect the Neuroscience and Mental Health Institute (NMHI) at the U of A, individuals with neurological and mental health disorders and the broader community.
I explored the CONNECTIONS exhibit, and I’ll be sharing three of my favourite pieces as well as some thoughts on the experience overall.
Cause to Dance - Sana Bibi
This work caught my attention, not only because of the colours but also because it made me think about how brains function in a new way — it’s comforting to be reminded of the connections between us and our capacity for fostering stronger bonds.
Bibi’s stunning piece is an image of the cerebellum, with the different colours representing various structures within it. The artist writes, “The image shows that although most brain structures are distinct from each other, they are all connected, and ultimately all work together. This reminds me of how everyone is unique and leads different lives, and yet we need to support each other to form a better society for all.”
Isolation - Lisa Schwartz
I was drawn to this work because I found that it captured the feelings of loneliness and isolation so well — this is something most people can relate to at one time or another. It’s comforting to see a representation of isolation and remember that we’re connected by the fact that we all experience loneliness in life.
Schwartz’s beautiful felted sculpture is intended to represent the “erosion of one’s mental state during isolation” and was inspired by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Knitted Memories - Paige Faulkner
This painting resonated with me because it made me reflect on aging and memory—especially as I experience my grandparents getting older and the need to process that passage of time. Across the generations in my family, we, of course, are all getting older -- but it’s comforting to know that we can share our memories with each other and they will live on, just like the scarves we were knitted for Christmas presents.
Faulkner hopes to “connect the precious human possession of memories with the fascinating neurobiology that underpins them.”
My Reflections
As someone with a lot of family history of mental health challenges and an interest in interdisciplinary work, I was particularly compelled by this exhibit. Oftentimes, art and science are viewed as siloed categories that must remain separate. There is a tendency on the scientific side to favour objective and logical methodological approaches. Therefore, merging science and art may sometimes be overlooked or avoided.
The CONNECTIONS exhibit shows how bringing together science, nature and art can link the abstract to the logical or the micro-level (individual experiences) to the macro-level (science) and vice versa. The links between these concepts allow the viewer to interpret both the science and the art in different ways, bridging the gaps between spaces that are often seen as academically separate.
The experience fosters dialogue and awareness about mental health in an innovative way. Though most of us have or will have someone in our lives who is neurodiverse or struggles with mental health, it can still be very difficult to understand what someone we love is going through.
My time at the RAM was powerful because CONNECTIONS humanized the experiences of neurodiverse individuals and individuals with mental health disorders like anxiety, depression, borderline personality disorder and bipolar disorder through visual representations. One way this was exemplified was through the diversity of mediums used by artists within the exhibit — from beading to sculpture to embroidering — these methods allowed for nuanced and personalized storytelling based on experiences. The strong visual representations of the hardships and triumphs experienced by the artists allow the viewer to develop a sense of empathy and understanding for these unique stories. In this way, I think the exhibit destigmatizes taboo and often uncomfortable topics to allow the viewer to see neurodiversity and mental health differently.
Overall, I really enjoyed the exhibit as it was thought-provoking, beautiful and unique. I highly recommend visiting the CONNECTIONS exhibit -- it’s another wonderful activity for a cold Edmonton day.