Unicef Unlockers

In Slovenia, one in four adolescents battles invisible mental health struggles like anxiety, depression, or trauma. Yet, these issues remain hidden in plain sight and overlooked by parents, educators, and policymakers due to cultural stigma and discomfort in discussing vulnerability openly. 

To make the invisible visible, we created The Unicef Unlockers: a provocative outdoor installation using school lockers as powerful metaphors for adolescents’ mental health struggles. From the outside, the lockers appeared perfectly normal – just like our youth. But when opened, each revealed a real story of youths’ mental distress, forcing the public and decision-makers to confront the invisible truth. 

Strategically placed outside Slovenia’s parliament and timed with World Mental Health Day, The Unicef Unlockers project featured an immersive installation of 90 school lockers, each containing a real story of youth mental distress. Visitors actively interacted with the installation, uncovering personal stories that transformed passive observers into active advocates for mental health awareness. The project’s powerful impact led the Prime Minister and Minister of Education to commit to incorporating mental health workshops into the school curriculum. Supported publicly by the Prime Minister and the Speaker of the National Assembly, this initiative secured a crucial first step toward lasting policy change for youth mental health.