Extraordinary!: Unknown Works from Swiss Psychiatric Institutions around 1900

The public's interest in art created by people with mental illnesses has been growing, and Zurich University of the Arts ZHdK has recorded, documented, and examined art works produced by patients in mental asylums and hospitals in Switzerland around 1900. The authors saw their art as a contribution to public life, an invention, and an expression of their ideas, and as a way to compensate for the dull life at and criticism of the institutions they were being treated. This field of art and art history is subject to the dynamics of academic standards and inclusions and exclusions, and this new book questions our contemporary understanding of art and encourages the reader to engage with these artists and their work.

Format: Hardback
Length: 240 pages
Publication date: 12 April 2022
Publisher: Scheidegger und Spiess AG, Verlag

The public's fascination with art created by individuals with mental illnesses has been on the rise
increase in recent years, although the academic world remains relatively unfamiliar with this topic. In a groundbreaking research project conducted at Zurich University of the Arts ZHdK, a collection of art works produced by patients in mental asylums and hospitals in Switzerland during the early 1900s has been meticulously recorded, documented, and analyzed. The authors of these art pieces, who dedicated themselves to their creations for extended periods, often showcased remarkable technical and artistic skills. They viewed their art as a means to contribute to public life, as a personal invention and expression of their ideas, and as a way to compensate for the monotonous and often critical environment they found themselves in. This field of art and art history is shaped by the dynamics of academic standards, leading to both inclusions and exclusions.

This new book, featuring a diverse selection of previously unpublished art works, challenges our contemporary understanding of art and encourages the reader to reevaluate their own concept of what constitutes art. It invites readers to engage with these artists and their creations, fostering a deeper appreciation for the unique perspectives and artistic expressions they offer.

Weight: 952g
Dimension: 174 x 243 x 30 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9783858816047