Dimensions of European wellness: contemporary design and the visions of life and the self: ‘The New Apothecary’s Cabinet II’, mind-body-spirit

‘The New Apothecary’s Cabinet II’, of Mind-Body-Spirit which is a devised, interactive Art Installation, is the second in the series, and investigates what a new apothecary’s cabinet would be as a piece of contemporary furniture, in collaboration with designer Chris White and maker Steve Smith, using machine-made systems, different types of material and wood, reflecting both old and new. Alison Oddey’s research for this creation interrogates how to live well and be happy, and is based on the Foresight Project’s ‘Five Ways to Well-being’, which concluded that five steps incorporated into daily life can fortify mental health and can contribute to a more productive, fulfilling life, as well as a UK survey published by BUPA in 2015 that it is the simple things in life which make us smile. The Cabinet is a provocation to the viewer to interact with the 24 drawers, to connect, be active, be curious, learn and give. There are health gains within the sensory experiences of all drawers to enrich life, bring support, feel good, maintain mobility, appreciate what matters in life, feel satisfied with confidence boosted and rewards of helping others to be happy within the community. The viewer is invited to be creative, to smile and laugh, to experience some feel-good moments in their day, in order to improve and maintain their health, to revive and restore their mind-body-spirit in smells, tastes, listening, touching and new ways of seeing. This project forms part of a sustained programme of research titled ‘The Cultural Value of the Arts for Health & Well-Being’, which employs methods and processes across Art and Science, designed to test and transform perceptions of what it is to live well and be happy, raising public awareness and engagement, to stimulate sustainable, social and cultural debate and significant public dialogue

‘The New Apothecary’s Cabinet II’, of Mind-Body-Spirit which is a devised, interactive Art Installation, is the second in the series, and investigates what a new apothecary’s cabinet would be as a piece of contemporary furniture, in collaboration with designer Chris White and maker Steve Smith, using machine-made systems,
different types of material and wood, reflecting both old and new. Alison Oddey’s research for this creation
interrogates how to live well and be happy, and is based on the Foresight Project’s ‘Five Ways to Well-being’,
which concluded that five steps incorporated into daily life can fortify mental health and can contribute to a
more productive, fulfilling life, as well as a UK survey published by BUPA in 2015 that it is the simple things in
life which make us smile. The Cabinet is a provocation to the viewer to interact with the 24 drawers, to connect,
be active, be curious, learn and give. There are health gains within the sensory experiences of all drawers to
enrich life, bring support, feel good, maintain mobility, appreciate what matters in life, feel satisfied with
confidence boosted and rewards of helping others to be happy within the community. The viewer is invited to be
creative, to smile and laugh, to experience some feel-good moments in their day, in order to improve and
maintain their health, to revive and restore their mind-body-spirit in smells, tastes, listening, touching and new
ways of seeing.
This project forms part of a sustained programme of research titled ‘The Cultural Value of the Arts for Health &
Well-Being’, which employs methods and processes across Art and Science, designed to test and transform
perceptions of what it is to live well and be happy, raising public awareness and engagement, to stimulate
sustainable, social and cultural debate and significant public dialogue