Art as a Breach in the Hospital Environment: a proposal for UNICAMP's Hospital de clinicas

• Grant number: 25/16123-1
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: February 01, 2026
• End date: December 31, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Linguistics, Literature and Arts - Arts - Plastic Arts
• Principal Investigator: Selma Machado Simão
• Grantee: Beatriz de Souza Lourenço Carlucci
• Host Institution: Instituto de Artes (IA). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This research investigates the impact of art workshops on the re-signification of the hospital experience for psychiatric patients at the UNICAMP Clinical Hospital, focusing on emotional well-being and the humanization of the environment. Grounded in Lev Vygotsky's Psychology of Art and contemporary approaches to Art Therapy, the proposal aims to use artistic practice as a tool for symbolic expression, non-verbal communication, and the strengthening of patient identity.The study involves weekly visual arts workshops (drawing, painting, collage), accompanied by semi-structured interviews and participant observation, to qualitatively analyze the subjective effects of these experiences. The initiative stems from a previous outreach project successfully carried out at the Dr. Cândido Ferreira Health Service, which demonstrated the relevance of art as a therapeutic and welcoming device. The expected outcome is to contribute to integrated care practices, promoting emotional health and humanization in the hospital context.It is important to emphasize that despite the therapeutic nature of art, these workshops are not intended to replace therapies provided by professionals such as psychologists and psychiatrists. Although drawing on concepts and grounded in psychological studies on artistic creation, the project does not aim to offer healing or psychological follow-up. Instead, it is committed to focusing on the participants' artistic process and the resulting mental health benefits it may bring. (AU)