Ana Sekulic,

Teacher and Artist 

Pipe, cable, light-switch: what do we perceive as ‘relevant’ information in the world?

Writing about the lived experience of people with Autism, Suzanne Holtom (2018), notes in visual perception ‘…they did not focus on the main action… but looked elsewhere – to the light switch on the wall, the frame of a picture in the background, the mouth... ‘. She suggests that this ‘could be their attempt to avoid experiencing a visual/auditory stimulus directly” Something that results in ‘the enhancement of sensory stimuli that neurotypical individuals may deem as irrelevant.’

As a Special Educating Needs Coordinator, I have noticed an increase in the number of neurodiverse children with high and complex needs in mainstream schools. Most have a diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder. For neurodiverse children, their bodily sensations are how they connect to the environment, and when they enter the mainstream classroom, their senses are bombarded. To cope, neurodiverse children will often seek comfort from the predictability of objects. They will notice and observe features of objects in the environment - such as lights, cables, and door handles. This close inspection and interaction results in a safe and predictable interaction that may seem mundane to neurotypical individuals.

In my installation I have reinterpreted and edited aspects of utilitarian design that normally go unnoticed, thereby encouraging you to engage with details of the studio environment and inviting you to look for additions, duplicates, and glitches.