Crazy normal - From Symptoms to Diagnosis

In collaboration with the Basel Historical Museum, I created an animated explanatory video on the question of how a psychiatric diagnosis is made. Script and project management was made by Judith Rehmann. The video is produced for the special exhibition "verrückt normal" about the history of psychiatry in Basel, to be seen until the 29.06.2025.

After receiving the script from Judith, the museum gave me complete creative freedom to develop a character the audience could connect with. A few years ago, during a trip to Japan, I sketched for the first time a character named Birdie in my sketchbook. I had always dreamed of animating him, but was waiting for the right project. When the museum approached me with this powerful idea, I knew the time had come to bring Birdie to life.

He felt like the perfect fit for such a challenging yet deeply human subject: mental health. I'm truly grateful and honored that the Basel Museum entrusted me with illustrating the emotional complexity of both receiving and giving a diagnosis. Recovery is a journey—often a difficult one—and I hope this video offers some clarity and empathy around the process of diagnosis.

Process documentation