Francesc Tosquelles: Avant-Garde Psychiatry and the Birth of Art Brut

"Francesc Tosquelles: Avant-Garde Psychiatry and the Birth of Art Brut" is a new adaptation of the original exhibition "Francesc Tosquelles. Like a Sewing Machine in a Wheat Field", curated by Carles Guerra and Joana Masó, produced and presented between 2021 and 2023 at Les Abattoirs de Toulouse, at the Centre de Cultura Contemporània de Barcelona (CCCB) and at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía (MNCARS) de Madrid. This first proposal made a journey through the avant-garde practices that the psychiatrist Tosquelles carried out in the therapeutic, political and cultural fields. A psychiatrist who tackled the social challenges of mental illness and wanted to transform the psychiatric institution, who revolutionized the medical practices of his time even though he was unknown to the majority of his contemporaries. He is now an inspiration for thinking about mental health policies in times of extreme crisis.

From April to August 2024 a new version of this major exhibition is presented in the American Folk Art Museum (AFAM) in New York with a new title: "Francesc Tosquelles: Avant-Garde Psychiatry and the Birth of Art Brut". Focusing on the light of Tosquelles rich legacy, this particular version of the show examines mental health history in the United States through the works of American artists – among them Martín Ramírez, Judith Scott, Masaaki Iswasmoto, Melvin Way, and Gabriel Mitchell.

The AFAM is an institution dedicated to promoting artistic production of predominantly self-taught creators through a grants program that enables the production of exhibitions, publications and educational programs.

This new adaptation of the show is co-curated by Valérie Rousseau, Joana Masó, Carles Guerra and Edward Dioguardi.  Support for this version is provided by the Institut Ramon Llull.