In the head of a young mind

Behind the surface

We carry around thousands of thoughts every day. Most come and go, but some stick. They repeat themselves, get louder and start influencing how we see ourselves and the world around us. And while a lot can be happening on the inside, very little of it may be visible on the outside.

In the Head of a Young Mind explores that hidden inner world. The exhibition invites you to step inside the mind of a young person and experience how thoughts can take up more and more space when they have nowhere else to go.

Step inside

Talking about mental health often means looking at it from the outside. We wanted to turn that around.

Instead of explaining what it can feel like when your own thoughts become overwhelming, the exhibition lets you experience it. Sound, light, space and interaction pull you into a world that normally exists only inside someone else’s head.

The experience was shaped together with young people in Eindhoven. Their perspectives helped us explore something that is difficult to put into words: how far can things build up internally before anyone around you notices?

Reclaiming attention

The space between thinking and sharing has always existed, but the world around it has changed. Our attention is constantly being pulled in different directions, while algorithms learn what keeps us watching, clicking and scrolling. When certain thoughts already take up space in your head, the digital world can easily give them even more room.

But what if we used that same digital space differently? Instead of competing for attention, could it help us direct attention towards what actually moves us forward? Could technology help us look at a thought from another angle, understand what is happening and make the step towards another person smaller?

The exhibition leaves us with that question: how do we want to shape the space between thinking and sharing?

Because you shouldn’t have to get lost before you find your way.