Out of the system
(Central Archive of care and education organization Evara)
In a report, we read that in September 1923, three patients escaped from the Ziekeren Psychiatric Care Center in Sint-Truiden. They managed to escape using sheets tied together. Two of them were apprehended in Verviers the very next day and returned to Ziekeren. The third, however, managed to get away.
In the numerous files that follow, nothing more is found about this escape story. Were the three companions on their way to Brussels? Did he manage, despite his psychological vulnerability, to build a new life elsewhere?
Buried alone, collectively remembered
In a nature reserve, opposite the modernized care infrastructure of the Rekem Public Psychiatric Care Centre, dozens of austere concrete crosses stand neatly in line. It is the final resting place of patients, mostly buried alone, from the flamboyant castle a little further away, which served as a 'lunatic asylum' from 1908 until the 1970s. They lie in layers above and between one another. About a thousand patients were laid to rest here, usually without family or friends. What took place within the walls of the castle remains largely hidden beneath the veil of professional secrecy. Veterans prefer not to speak about it anymore.
Yet, this historical story comes to life again today through objects and files carefully preserved by a diverse community of care recipients, care providers, volunteers, and experts by experience. It invites reflection on our culture and on the way we treat mentally vulnerable people. In this context, good intentions did not always lead to good results.
Through drawings, photographs, cyanotypes, and stamps, this collective group reflects on the past, present, and future of the psychiatric quest. The work reveals where we come from, opens the conversation about where we want to go, and creates space to dream, hope, and fantasize together.
View a collection of the artworks here:
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TOON is the point of contact for preserving and keeping alive the rich history, collections, and stories of care and welfare. As a national heritage service provider, TOON makes care archives visible, supports organizations, and connects heritage with care, welfare, research, and education.
