Therapyroom

This project was a spatial installation created in collaboration with Netanja van Dam as part of a joint exhibition by the Spatial and Design Strategies degree programme.
The exhibition dealt with the theme of war and highlighted the long-term effects of traumatic experiences.

The work addressed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) as an invisible scar of war. It examined how invisible injuries, such as emotional numbness, avoidance behaviour, flashbacks and nightmares, have a lasting impact on the lives of those affected. The aim of the installation was to raise awareness of these invisible wounds and to emphasise the importance of a safe space for healing and recognition.
The exhibition took place in a bunker located beneath the university building, which lent the installation a special depth. The contrast between the bunker – a place historically associated with protection, but also with fear and confinement – and the idea of a therapy room for healing and safety created a multi-layered tension. This choice of location reflected the ambivalence of how difficult it can be to create a space for healing amid injuries and scars.

The installation combined scientific findings with spatial staging to give visitors a deeper understanding of the psychological and emotional consequences of war.