Exhibition From Within at the MO Museum – where art meets psychology

Since opening in 2018, MO Museum in Vilnius, Lithuania, has been redefining what a contemporary art museum can be. Home to Lithuania’s largest private collection of modern and contemporary art, it is known not just for its bold exhibitions but for making art feel refreshingly personal.

Named Europe’s Most Friendly and Welcoming Museum, MO is where contemporary art meets contemporary life, sparking conversations on the issues shaping how we live, think, and feel. MO Museum’s exhibitions take on big questions – democracy, inclusion, identity, stereotypes among many others – while its educational projects push boundaries, inviting visitors of all ages to get involved, fostering creativity and critical thinking.

From the start, the museum has been a pioneer in highlighting the link between art and emotional well-being. This took on new urgency during the pandemic when MO launched its campaign The Climate of the Inner World Matters Just as Much, advocating for mental health as part of the global sustainability agenda. This vision culminates in From Within, the first large-scale exhibition in Lithuania to explore how art impacts emotional health. Inspired by Carl Gustav Jung’s theories and Alain de Botton’s belief in art’s healing power, the exhibition is a guided journey into the Self, blending psychology and art history.

From Within is the first large-scale exhibition in Lithuania to explore how art impacts emotional health.

By drawing on these two disciplines, the exhibition encourages reflection on the multifaceted impact of art. The tools of art history help visitors understand visual language, while psychology invites self-analysis. The questions accompanying the exhibition weave these fields together—like Ariadne’s thread, they help visitors maintain direction as they look, think, and open themselves to the therapeutic effect of art.

“We want visitors to feel how art resonates emotionally – to form a personal connection with both the artwork and themselves,” says the team of curators, which includes art therapist Aldona Dapkutė, psychotherapist Brigita Kaleckaitė, and art historian Deima Žuklytė-Gasperaitienė.

Through questions that prompt reflection and artworks that stir emotion, From Within invites us to explore the parts of ourselves we often overlook, such as the Ego and the Shadow, and reflect on the search for meaning.

“We live in a time of connection, yet so many feel disconnected,” say the curators. “This exhibition is about bridging that gap – finding what unites us as humans while reconnecting with our inner selves.”

From Within On display until August 31, 2025
MO Museum Pylimo str. 17 LT-LT-01141 Vilnius Lithuania
Hours: Wednesday–Monday 10am–8pm