Behind the Smile

'Behind the Smile' is an audiovisual exhibition be Tom Gould in collaboration with Voices of Hope, presenting the personal narratives of eleven New Zealanders who have experienced significant mental health challenges. Through photographic portraiture and recorded interviews, the exhibition invites viewers to consider the complexities that lie behind socially acceptable expressions, in particular the smile.

Rather than positioning its subjects as defined by their diagnoses or struggles, the exhibition foregrounds their resilience, individuality, and depth. Each participant is photographed in a way that underscores their presence, vulnaribility, and strength, accompanied by personal testimonies that provide context and emotional nuance. This interplay between image and voice is key as it challenges the viewer to reconcile the visible surface with the often-invisible internal reality.

What this exhibition does effectively is to render this process visible without pathologising it. By creating space for participents to articulate their own experiences on their own terms, the exhibition resists reductive narratives and instead promotes empathy and recognition. It frames mental health not as an individual failing, but as part of a broader conversation about visibility, expectation, and emotional labour.

• “Behind the Smile - Quack - Voices of Hope: A Moment With...” 2024. Omny.fm. 2024. https://omny.fm/shows/voices-of-hope-a-moment-with/behind-the-smile-quack.

• “Behind the Smile - Quinn - Voices of Hope: A Moment With...” 2024. Omny.fm. 2024. https://omny.fm/shows/voices-of-hope-a-moment-with/behind-the-smile-quinn.