FOLLY

A speculative retelling emerges from Heleen Mineur’s extensive research into the history and representation of mental health. The exhibition FOLLY presents the outcomes of this research through a docu-fiction film, a tapestry, and a sculpture. In these works, Heleen speculates on how this history might have unfolded if it had been viewed more from the perspective of the individual: the patient. In the docu-fiction film, she intertwines her own footage with archival material, blending reality with folklore and fables. The result is a wondrous retelling filled with symbolism, humour, and grief, through which Heleen offers a refreshing perspective on a stigmatised theme.

Heleen is a visual artist and the recipient of the 2024 K.F. Hein Stipendium, a biennial award granted to artists and designers from the province of Utrecht. With this stipend, the K.F. Hein Fund enables creators to develop new work, which is subsequently presented in the Utrecht Lokaal of the Centraal Museum.