May 4th - June 16th 2024⏐ Institut Funder Bakke ⏐Æbeløvej 20 ⏐8600 Silkeborg ⏐Denmark
By: Park McArthur - Magda Mostafa
Jordan Whitewood-Neal - Andreas Angelidakis
Refuge as Prospect: A Sensory Landscape
by Magda Mostafa | StudioTM
With production support from Kanzy Rammeya
History, beauty, art, heritage- all these powerful values dissolve, dissipate, become transparent in the absence of equitable access.
Art in its instruction, production and consumption is a deeply multi-sensory act- and within that act lies its power but also its challenge for the Neurodivergent mind. This mind- and its embodied relationship to the physical space of art- may pendulate between sensory seeking and sensory avoiding. Without, however, the senso-spatio-socio physical infrastructure to enact this pendulation, places of art may remain inaccessible to the neurodivergent experience. They may become islands of beauty and self-expression out of reach for the Neurodivergent experience by virtue of the very power they embody- the power of the deeply- and often overwhelming- multi-sensorality.
This piece explores this paradox by presenting the Neurodivergent experience as existing between two notions- that of the historical palace, represented as a transparent almost invisible vessel- falling from its position of importance as an artifact in and of itself, and only valuable in that it holds the prospect of space for the Neurodivergent experience with art. This is juxtaposed with a freeform spatial infrastructure inspired by the Autism ASPECTSS EscapeScape. As a white organic connected spatial canvas, it follows anticipatory desire lines through the palace, and expands into Sensory Escape Spaces- points strategically placed to provide the opportunity for sensory seeking and sensory avoidance- represented in a neutral white to take on future possibilities ranging along the spectrum of neutrality to sensory stimulation- from the absence of colour to the possibility of the full colour spectrum.
I see this as a canvas for possible futures- spaces that can be appropriated to escape and regulate the senses, but also spaces for sensory exploration through color, light, texture, movement and sound.
2023⏐ Venice Biennale⏐Palazzo Mora⏐European Cultural Center ⏐Venice ⏐Italy
By: Magda Mostafa
“A Case for Sensory Decolonisation: Autistic Escape”, is composed of two notions- a pair of parallel experiences creating spatial simulations of the dichotomy of the autistic spatial experience between the two poles of stimulation and refuge.
The first experience, presented on the wall, is a collage of sensory vignettes from the autistic lived experience- the Sensory Atlas- aiming to document experiences of sensory overload from our global city sensoryscapes from the lens of autistic individuals themselves. Using audio, photography, digital collage and film, it strives to capture the impact of the sensory colonisation of our cities and their landscapes on our autistic citizens.
The second experience stands in complete contrast to the first. Through the interactive spatial installation, visitors are invited to experience the power of sensory escape opportunities by proposing the notion of “EscapeScapes” or landscapes of escape.
May 21st 2021⏐ Venice Architecture Biennale⏐Palazzo Bembo, Venice, Italy
By: Magda Mostafa
The message of this collective piece, "Autistic Imaginaries of Architectural Space: the World through the Lens of Autism", is “by viewing the world through the autistic lens, we are given a snapshot of the sensory world of our built environment from a position of alternate/innovative and novel perspectives, perspectives that can help inform the production of future worlds that are more broadly inclusive of the voices of neurodiversity”. The collection is curated from a series of encounters between the ASPECTSS® Design Index and autistic individuals from all over the world. It is the ethos of this curation that true design must begin with the human at its center, and in that spirit this collection of works is resonant of the autistic voice itself.
