Fiona Tan: Monomania

IMAGINING THE INNER SELF

Monomania presents Fiona Tan’s perspective on the imagination of the inner self and the emergence of psychiatry at the beginning of the 19th century, exploring the role of attentive observation in diagnosing mental "disorders." Tan, internationally renowned for her research-based film and video installations, invites you to view a past that feels surprisingly contemporary through a new lens.

In her exploration of the Rijksmuseum’s collection, Fiona Tan was guided by questions such as: What was understood by monomania? How were individuals struggling with mental health issues perceived at the time? And above all, how were they depicted?

Théodore Géricault and Edvard Munch

Fascinated by Théodore Géricault’s portrait series Les Monomanes, Tan examines how artists and scientists in the 19th century sought to understand the human psyche. Delving into the Rijksmuseum’s depot, she unearthed drawings, prints, photographs, paintings, and also masks, everyday objects, and artifacts. She combines these discoveries with exceptional loans, such as Géricault’s Portrait of a Kleptomaniac (1820–1824). The exhibition also features prints by Francisco Goya and Edvard Munch. Tan weaves these historical works together with her own, including the powerful new video installation Janine’s Room (2025), created especially for this exhibition.

Tan invites you to reflect on how mental illness has been — and still is — perceived and portrayed. Monomania offers a fresh perspective on the Rijksmuseum’s collection.

FILMS AT DE UITKIJK

Starting July 17, Filmtheater De Uitkijk will present a retrospective of works by Fiona Tan. The retrospective opens with History’s Future, a film that served as an important starting point for Monomania, and will be personally introduced by the artist. Show your Rijksmuseum ticket for a discount on admission.

Exhibition texts

Fiona Tan schreef de tentoonstellingsteksten, die in een gids zijn gebundeld. De gids is hier ook digitaal te lezen.

Accessibility

Fiona Tan: Monomania addresses topics related to mental well-being. The installation and texts are an artistic expression by the artist Fiona Tan and are based on research into visual and written sources from the 19th and 20th centuries. The descriptions may contain historical language that could be considered offensive.

Some galleries may be less accessible for certain visitors:
· Gallery 5 is relatively dark, with little contrast.
· Gallery 6 contains low display cases and floor-level numbering.
· Gallery 7 offers the opportunity to watch and listen to the Pickpockets series. Each screen has a chair in front of it. If you use a wheelchair, feel free to ask a security staff member to move the chair aside.
· Gallery 8 is relatively dark, with low contrast. This gallery features Fiona Tan’s video work, which includes continuous sound.

THANKS TO

The exhibition Fiona Tan: Monomania is made possible in part by the Mondriaan Fund and the and the Women of the Rijksmuseum Fund.