On May 29, 2026, Bodo-Uhse-Bibliothek hosted the lecture Reason, Emotion, and Madness in European Art as part of the Science Salon series. During the event, participants explored one of the key trends in European culture — the destigmatization of mental illness.

Together with cultural studies lecturer and specialist in the history and theory of world culture Maria Sterligova, participants approached the topic from an unexpected perspective. They discovered that throughout the history of European art, madness often served as a counterpoint to the Enlightenment ideal — the rational individual. Europe moved from mysticism to reason, rejected emotion, and later returned to embracing the irrational.

Together with the speaker, participants examined depictions of Bedlam in the works of William Hogarth and the demons of William Blake. They also explored the question of whether the movements of the early avant-garde — Expressionism, Dadaism, and early Surrealism — helped reduce the stigma surrounding mental illness and foster greater acceptance of alternative ways of perceiving reality.