Beautiful Distress was established to represent the suffering of the patients from the consequences of a serious mental illness. Its aim is to make the suffering of patients visible through the art of renowned artists, to stimulate conversations about psychiatry and to reduce prejudive against mental illnesses. There is relatively little public attention to this group of patients and their problems are surrounded by taboos.

At the launch of Beautiful Distress, the founder and chairman of the board, psychiater, medical director of the Mental Health Department of GGD spoke about the mission of the foundation. Photographer Anna Louwes talked about her artist-in-residence experience at Kings County psychiatric hospital in Brooklyn New York and presented the work they did in New York. A video of Aldo van den Broek was also shown, who is currently residing at the residency in New York.

Beautiful Distress Foundation is derived fom Het Vijfde Seizoen and both are working together. Art director of Lloyd Hotel & Cultural Embassy Suzanne Oxenaar is the president of Het Vijfde Seizoen and artistic advisor and board member of Beautiful Distress Foundation. www.beautifuldistress.com