In the Head of a Young Mind

Inside the Mind

In the basement of Dynamo Eindhoven, visitors literally step inside the mind of a young person. Through sound, light, photography and spatial design, they enter a stream of thoughts about stress, performance pressure, loneliness, debt, identity and the feeling of not being good enough. The stories and themes are based on co-creation sessions with young people from Eindhoven.

The experience gradually builds from calm to increasing pressure and sensory overload. Voices, thoughts, images and light overlap, making tangible what can be happening internally while remaining invisible from the outside. The installation then shifts: from feeling stuck to creating space, from carrying things alone to connection and perspective.

This leads to the central question: what if we could reach young people earlier, before their problems escalate?

From Pressure to Perspective

Many young people struggle with questions about their mental health, while appropriate support can be difficult to find or only becomes available once problems have escalated. This installation explores how we might approach this differently. Not by replacing human contact with technology, but by designing new ways for young people to reflect, put their experiences into words and find their way towards support.

An AI environment co-created with young people offers a new perspective. It creates space for self-reflection and can help lower the threshold towards human connection and appropriate support. The experience moves from mental pressure and isolation towards recognition, agency and connection.

Co-created with Youth

n the Head of a Young Mind was developed from the lived experiences and perspectives of young people. Their stories are not only the subject of the installation, but also part of the design process. Photography, light, sound, technology and youth participation come together in one immersive experience.

The project brings together different makers and disciplines. Rowan Brugmans translates mental pressure into photography, while John Reilly and Lars Landa work with light, art and spatial experience. Olaf van Duijn creates the sound experience. Through Uppoo, Mélanie Gozzo develops an AI platform that helps young people explore their thoughts, discover new perspectives and take the step towards connecting with others more easily. It is designed for organisations that want to connect with the lived experiences of young people and take responsibility for the challenges they face. Mark de Weijer initiated the project from Dynamo and connects the concept, young people, and the different creative and technological disciplines.