Pelse Asboe established Broderi Moderne over 20 years ago, in Nørre Allé in central Aarhus, Denmark. Over the following decades, this shop provided a window into the beautiful world of embroidery. 

During a visit to the Museum Overtaci, Pelse noticed a projector cycling through photographs of patients from Risskov, a psychiatric hospital established in 1850. She immediately thought that these photographs might make an inspirational subject for an embroidery project. The photos, apparently all from 1873, were from a subset of the patients at Risskov hospital, which were not linked to any clinical files or other documentation (and thus were not identifiable). This type of project would have a particular link to Aarhus history, and could recognize and respect the dignity of the people who were patients in Risskov. The result is a stunning collaborative art work entitled “The Patients”. 

The idea of using the photos as a template for embroidery emerged from an earlier, community-based art project called “Sew your city” (Sy Din By). Groups of people would work on  projects with a shared artistic and cultural theme. These groups included people from all walks of life and with different skills, from professional seamstresses to people who had never touched an embroidery needle. Over a period of 8 months, a group of about 30 participants (all women) met to work on “The Patients”.  After the photos were printed onto cloth, the members of the group were instructed to embroider the photos however they liked, but asked not to cover the faces of the patients. 

The members of the embroidery group used a range of techniques such as cross stitches, stem stitch, chain stitch, French knots, speckling and a lot of self-invented stitches. Some were machine embroidered and therefore relatively quick to produce, while others were hand-stitched over many hours. During the lengthy process of embroidery, the artists often ‘bonded’ with their individual patients. 

The finished product was put on display in an Aarhus cafe, and was the focus of a public lecture in Viborg. 

Because Risskov hospital was closing down, and the Overtaci Museum did not have storage space, “The Patients” were ‘homeless’ for several months, and were stored at Pelse’s shop. By chance, staff at the National Centre for Register-based Research (NCRR) learnt of “The Patients” and invited Pelse and her group to donate the work to the centre. After being photographed and framed, they are now on display in the staff room of this internationally respected research group. 

The NCRR was established in 2000 at Aarhus University under the leadership of Professor Preben Bo Mortensen. NCRR has strong links with Risskov hospital, which first established the Danish Psychiatric Central Research Register in 1969. “The Patients” artwork provides a reminder of how much has changed with respect to the treatment of people with mental disorders. However, more research is still needed. The focus of NCRR is to lead research aimed at providing a better life for each individual with a mental disorder, and perhaps, in the future, even find ways to prevent the development of severe mental disorders.