Glenside Hospital will open its historic Z Ward in the last weekend of August for a pop up art exhibition. Used for over 90 years to incarcerate the criminally insane, the old cells will now feature artwork by Eyre Peninsula artist Susanne Wegener.

It is the ideal location for her Bad Girls: Into The Light exhibition, which features portraits and installation pieces that depict the emotions and mental states of nameless women. Wegener hopes the viewers will see themselves in the artwork, and it is able to shift negative views of themselves to positive ones. “The exhibition celebrates uniqueness and highlights the characteristics that make us individual and special,” Wegener explains.

“When we try too hard to fit into the norm we can lose sight of our particular talents and originality. This exhibition reminds us to respect who we are and where we are different,” she says.

While today there are services to support those struggling with mental health, they did not exist for those incarcerated in the Z Ward. The women featured in the exhibition pay homage to those who passed through the Z Ward before them.

Z Ward proved a popular destination last November when the building’s current owners and National Trust SA opened the ward’s doors over two Open Days to allow the public to get a glimpse of the building’s unique architecture and historical legacy. That is, once they managed to get through the enormous queue.

If you were considering going to the Glenside Z Ward open morning…you probably won’t get in. #Adelaide pic.twitter.com/qqMH0UGQny

— Ben Williams (@fortescue) November 1, 2014

After a 2 hour wait, thousands tour the halls of Z ward in the historic Glenside hospital @9NewsAdel pic.twitter.com/7tLJXdEzuf

— Alice Monfries (@alicemonfries) November 2, 2014

The exhibition will be open on Saturday August 29 and Sunday August 30, between 9am and 4pm. Entry is free, but visitors are encouraged to make donation to support a mental health charity.

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What

Susanne Wegener – Bad Girls: Into The Light exhibition

When

August 29 – 30, 9am – 4pm

Where

Glenside Hospital