As we bid adieu to Mental Health Awareness Month this October, it’s essential to remember the importance of maintaining the dialogue on mental well-being. This topic holds a particular resonance in Asia, where societal stigmas often impede open discussions about mental health. These stigmas, coupled with a lack of resources such as mental health services and professionals, intensify the problem, making it challenging for individuals to find the help they so desperately need.
Therefore, continued efforts to promote awareness, exposure, and education are vital in empowering those grappling with mental health issues to feel comfortable expressing their feelings and experiences.
Creative innovation agency RGA took a unique approach to this issue, partnering with the Singapore Association for Mental Health (SAMH) to create a world-first generative AI exhibition. This exhibition, titled ‘Prompting Feelings’, brought to life the complex emotions and experiences of eight Singaporeans living with various mental health conditions, through visually stunning art pieces.
Ed Cheong, RGA Singapore’s executive creative director, explained the exhibition’s goal was to use technology as an enabler for artistic expression, ultimately fostering empathy and improving mental health literacy.
The exhibition, hosted at the Visual Arts Centre Singapore, culminated on November 3. However, the conversation continues on the ‘Prompting Feelings’ microsite, which features information about the artwork, the artists, and mental health prompts.
Generative AI expands our visual vocabulary for feelings and experiences that may elude verbal expression. The artworks it generates also help viewers to experience multiple feelings and thoughts at once, mirroring our human experiences of confusion, grief, shock, and being overwhelmed.
According to the Asian Development Bank, poor mental health is the second largest contributor to years lost due to disability in Asia. The ‘State of Wellbeing’ report by lululemon revealed that while over 64% of people in the APAC region placed well-being as their top priority, 90% reported themselves as being unable to achieve their desired state.
As a tech-savvy whiz with a soft spot for innovative solutions, I find the ‘Prompting Feelings’ exhibition a powerful example of how technology can be harnessed to tackle societal issues. As we move forward, let’s remember that technology can be a powerful ally in breaking down the barriers surrounding mental health.
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