A Dual Challenge to the Mental Health System: Rudy Loewe and Audrey Amiss at Wellcome Collection

The same museum roof, the same seasonal calendar, and a giant question standing right at the intersection of medical history and social reality: Who does the mental health system really serve, and who does it push outside the system?

Wellcome Collection in London traces this critical question through two distinct and powerful voices instead of a single narrative. Rudy Loewe from the present day and Audrey Amiss from the past; two artists and advocates, one coming from contemporary activism and the other from the archives. Running until February 7, 2027, these simultaneous exhibitions stand as one of the most striking stops to visit on London’s cultural map.

Rudy Loewe: The Anatomy of Care and Collective Memory

“Intimacies of Care — Spaces of Grief and Possibility”, Rudy Loewe’s first major institutional exhibition at Wellcome Collection, centers on how the mental health system in the UK is shaped by racial discrimination and systemic pressures. Focusing on the experiences of Black, queer, and neurodivergent individuals in psychiatric institutions, Loewe presents a deep field study through sculpture, painting, text, and sound installations.

Loewe constructed this process not as an isolated artist practice, but as a community solidarity effort. The inclusion of established communities such as ADHD Babes, Black Trans Foundation, and Black and Neurodiverse transforms the exhibition from a static art object into a living space of action. The artist’s visual language is politically sharp yet emotionally inclusive: Pain and resilience, grief and new possibilities stand together on the same surface. The concept of “care” transforms in Loewe’s hands into both the most intimate and the most radical political action.

Audrey Amiss: A Surviving Archive of an Artist

“The Surviving Exhibitions” is the first comprehensive museum retrospective dedicated to the life and work of Sunderland-born painter Audrey Amiss (1933–2013). A mental health crisis during her studies at the Royal Academy of Arts in the 1950s and subsequent psychiatric interventions cut Amiss’s academic career short. However, this did not sever her vital bond with art.

Amiss used art for decades as an advocacy tool against the medical system and labeling. She left behind over 350 paintings, more than 50,000 sketches, and 230 original scrapbooks. The title of the exhibition remains faithful to the artist’s own archiving intent; the curation displays an ethical stance by taking works that Amiss herself wished to exhibit or document as a basis. Works, documents, and personal belongings turn into a massive life document honoring Amiss’s marginalized voice.

Two Generations, One Frame: A Dialogue Transcending Time

It is no coincidence that Wellcome Collection hosts Loewe and Amiss simultaneously in the same space. Loewe speaks from today’s vulnerabilities, community-focused solidarity, and current systemic issues. Amiss, on the other hand, responds from within the archive to the rigid psychiatric understanding of the 1950s and the woman and artist identity ignored by institutions.

The two exhibitions do not seek to complete each other; on the contrary, by making the historical gap between them visible, they ask the viewer: The medical language and institutions have changed over decades, but how much has the painful relationship of marginalized individuals with this system transformed?

Frequently Asked Questions

When and where is the Rudy Loewe exhibition at Wellcome Collection?

Rudy Loewe’s “Intimacies of Care — Spaces of Grief and Possibility” exhibition can be visited free of charge at Wellcome Collection (183 Euston Road, London NW1 2BE) from July 9, 2026, to February 7, 2027.

What are the dates and details of the Audrey Amiss exhibition?

Audrey Amiss’s first museum retrospective titled “The Surviving Exhibitions” takes place between July 10, 2026, and February 7, 2027, at Wellcome Collection. Admission is free.

Is a ticket or reservation required for entry to the exhibitions?

No, entry to Wellcome Collection’s general galleries and these two exhibitions is completely free. The museum offers extensive accessibility facilities such as audio descriptions, British Sign Language (BSL), and low-stimulus special sessions for neurodivergent visitors.