Opening Up with Vincent: Institutional Values and the Art of Mental Health Advocacy at the Van Gogh Museum

Abstract

This thesis examines the values that guide the Van Gogh Museum in developing and presenting the Open Up with Vincent program. The program aims to open up conversations about mental health through mindful art viewing, yoga sessions in the museum, and meditation videos with Van Gogh’s paintings. There are also multiple collaborations with mental health organizations during the development of the program. Although the museum has a clear connection to Vincent van Gogh’s struggles with mental health, it has offered only a few exhibitions that address this theme directly. This raises questions about how the museum positions itself in relation to mental health advocacy and what values shape its decisions. To investigate this, the study analyzes the museum’s strategic plans, website texts, and two semi structured interviews with the curator of the program and a staff member from the Public Relations team. The thesis uses Boltanski and Thévenot’s Value Regime Theory as the main framework for understanding the museum’s decision making, supported by insights from museum therapy case studies and Pascal Gielen’s model of value regimes in arts institutions. The findings show that four value regimes appear most frequently. The Civic Regime is the most prominent, highlighting values such as accessibility, inclusion, and social responsibility. These values shape many of the museum’s initiatives, including programs for disabled visitors, inclusive language guidelines, and efforts to create a welcoming environment for diverse audiences. The Project Oriented City Regime is the second most present. It is reflected in the museum’s many collaborations with mental health organizations, youth groups, mindfulness trainers, and international partners. The Opinion and Fame Regime plays a visible role as the museum emphasizes recognition, visibility, and its international reputation. However, this sometimes creates tension with the goals of mental health advocacy, which require more targeted communication, careful framing, and attention to sensitive topics. The Industrial Regime is expressed through the museum’s strong focus on expertise, research, professionalism, and conservation. Research is central in building trust, supporting educational work, and maintaining the museum’s position as a knowledge institution. These industrial values contribute to the museum’s long-term stability and the consistency of its cultural role. Overall, the thesis concludes that the Open Up with Vincent program is shaped by a mix of civic, project based, fame oriented, and industrial values. These overlapping regimes influence decisions about programming, communication, collaboration, and the long term positioning of the museum. Understanding this combination of values explains how the Van Gogh Museum balances its social goals, financial needs, and institutional responsibilities when addressing mental health through art.