Femmes névrosées Exhibition at Museum Dr. Guislain Explores Women and Psychiatry

Running from October 13, 2012, to May 26, 2013, the 'Femmes névrosées' (Nerveuze Vrouwen) exhibition at the Museum Dr. Guislain in Ghent delved into two hundred years of the relationship between women and psychiatrists. Located within a psychiatric hospital, the museum boasts an important collection of art brut. The exhibition showcased the historical perspectives on female neurosis through various documents, including engravings and photographs, while also featuring works by artists like Cindy Sherman and Louise Bourgeois alongside medical artifacts. It highlighted the connections between doctors and patients, suggesting that the understanding of women's pathologies is shaped by cultural influences. Drawing on Lisa Appignanesi's book 'Mad, Bad and Sad' (2008), the exhibition presented psychoanalysis within a wider cultural framework, rather than solely focusing on tragic outcomes.