War and the Mind

27 Sep 2024-27 Apr 2025

Overview

Through IWM’s collections and groundbreaking UKRI research projects, War and the Mind will invite visitors to consider war through a psychological prism.  

Conflicts thrive on solidarity and division, a sense of ‘us’ against ‘them’. On the frontline, war is an assault upon the senses. Going into battle can feel terrifying, or thrilling. Camaraderie and cohesion can buoy the will to ‘keep going’ in the most extreme environments, but both come under relentless stress. For civilians caught up in war’s turmoil, unrelenting hardships threaten resilience and security. 

Exhausted populations must be encouraged to endure if a war is to be won. In the end, war’s mental consequences can prove devastating. This major exhibition will shine a light on these many and varied psychological dimensions to war and conflict.

War and the Mind is supported by UK Research and Innovation through the Arts and Humanities Research Council.