No Need To Pretend

Young people grow up under pressure to perform, constantly visible online, and bombarded with endless stimuli - yet these experiences are not always easy to put into words. Around Mental Health Day, Melkweg Expo and Stichting MIND Us present the exhibition No Need To Pretend, where visual art, youth culture and mental health converge.

The exhibition features work by recently graduated artists from Dutch art academies: Anna Björk, Densley Annastatia, Elsa Rubio Björk, Finn Koene, Gala Camps-McLoughlin, Mabel Blokzijl and Rosa Uribe. The selection was made in collaboration with youth ambassadors from Stichting MIND Us, who - guided by guest curator Cathelijne Blok - searched for works that resonate with their lived experience. In the displayed works, they recognise experiences of stress, alienation and pressure to meet expectations, but also resilience, connection and hope.

The exhibition is not only about young people, but is partly created by them. There is no right or wrong: your interpretation doesn't need to match the artist's intention. Perhaps you'll find recognition in the works, or they might spark a conversation.

MIND Us is committed to healthy development in young people and works together with young people and partners to create an environment where they can be themselves and access low-threshold support. Need someone to listen? In je bol is the starting point for everyone aged 16-27. Want to get involved? You can join the MIND Us community.