Photo : DR
Attempting art for healing - At the Blida-Joinville psychiatric hospital in the 1960s
Step into a poignant historical chapter where art becomes a tool for healing within a revolutionary clinical setting. These striking gouache paintings from the 1960s reveal the inner worlds of patients who used color and form to reclaim their humanity. It is a rare, moving exhibition that sheds light on a pioneering approach to mental health and creative expression.
L'Institut du Monde Arabe (Paris 5th)
About
Discover the transformative power of art at the Institut du Monde Arabe with the exhibition dedicated to the Blida-Joinville psychiatric hospital in the 1960s. This showcase highlights how patients used gouache painting as a therapeutic tool, following the innovative methods initiated by psychiatrist Frantz Fanon. Running from October 22, 2025, to January 3, 2027, this exhibition is fully accessible to wheelchair users. It invites visitors to explore the intersection of mental health, artistic expression, and historical context within a unique institutional setting located in Paris' 5th arrondissement.
The Blida-Joinville psychiatric hospital (HPB) was founded in 1933. Frantz Fanon (1925-1961), a doctor of psychiatry and a major figure of anti-colonialism, served as chief physician there between 1953 and 1956; the hospital would bear his name upon the country's independence. Breaking with colonial psychiatry, Fanon renewed the psychiatric approach by adapting to the local cultural and social context of the residents. Together with them and the medical team, he created a social fabric within the institution, including manual activities, music therapy, and sports, to encourage the expression of patients for their potential recovery and reintegration into society.
At the end of the 1960s, Fanon's successors developed this practice of social therapy. This is evidenced by the drawing workshops that gave birth to this very rich collection of gouache paintings. Drawing became a true medium of expression for the patients.
The exhibition examines the content of these paintings by highlighting the human dimension of the residents who created them; and, drawing on the archives of the donation, it illuminates the historical context in which the contributions of the artistic workshops at the hospital are situated.
Our take on this event
The exhibition titled Tenter l'art pour soigner explores the revolutionary therapeutic practices developed at the Blida-Joinville psychiatric hospital. During his tenure as head physician from 1953 to 1956, Frantz Fanon challenged colonial psychiatric models by integrating the cultural and social realities of his patients into their care. He fostered a social fabric within the institution through sports, music therapy, and manual activities, aiming to facilitate both healing and social reintegration.
During the late 1960s, Fanon's successors continued this legacy by emphasizing social therapy. A significant outcome of this approach was the creation of numerous gouache paintings by patients, for whom drawing served as a vital medium of expression. By drawing on archives and the donation's collection, this exhibition at the Institut du Monde Arabe highlights the human stories behind these artworks and the specific historical conditions of the hospital's art workshops.
The exhibition is open to the public from October 22, 2025, to January 3, 2027, and requires a paid ticket. The venue is fully accessible for wheelchair users.
