Projects
Fragments of Perception: An Autistic Odyssey
Fragments of Perception: An Autistic Odyssey
Fragments of Perception will explore the intersection of human consciousness and the natural environment, integrating autistic lived experience characterised by a sense of duality and doubles.
Artist Elinor Rowlands will work with a talented team to create immersive scenarios enabling participants to engage deeply with the complexity of identity and perception, embodying life through another’s eyes. Through this innovative project, Elinor aims to deepen the understanding of autistic experience, engaging both with the claustrophobic sensation of being in a body, and the sensual dance with the sublime that can result from immersion in the natural world.
Participants will immerse themselves in two captivating scenes—forest and water—allowing them to connect with nature in a deeply embodied autistic way, wherein the natural world reveals itself not merely as a backdrop but as a dynamic collaborator, inviting participants to forge a rich, sensual connection that transcends traditional boundaries.
In Fragments of Perception: An Autistic Odyssey, much like Elinor's previous works, the exploration will extend far beyond a straightforward educational demonstration of sensory differences. It will unfold in a phantasmagorical tapestry, showcasing the intricate and mesmerising interplay between humanity and the natural world. This transformative journey will illuminate the extraordinary possibilities that arise when individuals attune themselves to the world around them, revealing the magic and mystery inherent in the relationship between human beings and the environment.
Forest will comprise an interactive film segment set in a digitally rendered forest, in which participants can move and dance to articulate emotions and experiences through their movements. This will allow participants to experience autistic stimming as creative expression or artistic methodology, rather than mere behavioural response. Participants will navigate this forest from two perspectives: a first-person viewpoint, as if embodied in the environment, and a third-person perspective, observing the back of a character’s head (similar to a narrative-driven video game).
Elinor and the team will apply a similar approach to the water scene, where participants can immerse themselves in a meaningful interaction with water. The auditory landscape will feature internal dialogues as personal voices or intrusive thoughts, challenging traditional notions of self-identity. This sound layer embodies the dual nature of experience, mirroring real-life scenarios of anxiety, self-doubt often associated with autism.
These dualities intentionally reflect the autistic experience of feeling simultaneously connected to and distanced/dissociated from one's surroundings, inviting participants to reflect on perceptions of reality.
Experiment
£20,000
Aims of the Project
Through incorporating my own lived experiences alongside those of my collaborators, I aim to create work that challenges conventional portrayals of autism and neurodiversity.
Meet the artists
Elinor Rowlands
Lead artist
she/her/they/them
I create immersive installations that blend ancient practices with transformative folkloric acts, intertwining ecology and humanity. Influenced by my autistic/ADHD lived experience, and synesthesia, my art explores themes of “otherness,” hauntology and ritual, inviting a sense of numinous magic and wildness.
My work encompasses sound art, collages, audio-video, drawings and paintings, balancing comfort with unease, merging elements that evoke warmth alongside cautionary pulses. Through rhythmic gestures and layered soundscapes, I cultivate a phantasmagorical atmosphere for collective reflection, engaging with the uncanny identity in environmental contexts while investigating autistic stimming as a methodology that deepens dialogue around perception and embodiment.
Jim Brouwer
Creative technologist
Jim Brouwer is a Creative Technologist with over 23 years of experience in art galleries, installation and production. Jim has a proven ability to deliver high-quality exhibitions and events for prestigious art galleries and institutions. He has expertise in AV and IT technical support, live audio engineering, video mixing, and streaming; he is adept at collaborating with artists, curators, and other stakeholders to achieve project goals. Jim has been AV/IT Technician at Nottingham Contemporary since 2009.
Jim’s freelance clients have included: The Tate, Liverpool Biennial, Bloomberg New Contemporaries, Dance4, National Trust, thisistomorrow, New Art Exchange, BACKLIT and Metal.
Barret Hodgson
he/him
Barret Hodgson is an award-winning video artist and digital projection designer. After earning a master’s in Collaborative Arts Practice at Nottingham Trent University, he founded Vent Media, specialising in visual media for live performances, installations, film, and architectural projection. His work integrates cutting-edge techniques to create immersive digital experiences.
Clients include the BBC, 59 Productions, Sadler’s Wells, Red Bull, Warp Films, and Glastonbury Festival and Studio Wayne McGregor. His theatre and dance collaborations have gained international recognition, touring in Asia, America, and Europe, including the Venice Biennale and Sydney Opera House.
Valeria Radchenko
they/them
Valeria Radchenko is a music producer, multimedia artist, sound designer and facilitator based in London. Working with sound, performance, video and creative coding, they play with the fusing of genres and mediums, weaving personal narratives with speculative fiction to dream of worlds beyond capitalism. Valeria composes soundtracks for films and performances, as well as releasing music independently.
In 2024, they released their debut album, VISIONS, with support from Help Musicians UK. Valeria is a member of In-grid, a trans*feminist collective of artists, educators and technologists working with digital infrastructures.
Valerie Uchechukwo Ebuwa
she/her
VALERIE UCHECHUKWU EBUWA is a choreographer, dance artist, activist, writer, model and mediator based in London. Valerie started her training at Lewisham College before obtaining a BA (Hons) degree from London Contemporary Dance School.
Amongst others, she’s recently worked with Clod Ensemble, Jamie xx, Marina Abramović, The Opera Story. She choreographed and performed for the opening of the London Festival of Architecture. She choreographed and created ValUE, a multimedia project exploring the history of the Black female body.
Valerie writes for I am Hip-Hop magazine. Her work has featured in Crack, i-D, Glass, The Earth Issue, and Stylist magazines.
Ben Hajioff
Musician & producer
he/him
Ben Hajioff is a dynamic disabled and neurodivergent drum & bass musician and producer known for his innovative soundscapes. With over 2,500 loyal followers on SoundCloud, he skillfully blends urban beats, drum and bass, and garage influences. His track was featured in the 2024 exhibition “Every Breath We Take,” which showcased UK artists breaking boundaries to create immersive, multisensory experiences focused on environmental consciousness.
Ben also collaborated with Elinor on her project “Biodivergent Sites and Sounds,” contributing to a captivating soundscape for a walking trail. His passion for music and dedication to promoting social justice narratives drive his artistic journey.
Dr Lisa Gee
Artist support
she/her
Dr Lisa Gee is Assistant Professor and Research Fellow in Future Thinking at the University of Birmingham and Lead Associate Director for comms/management consultancy Furner Communications. She is AuDHD, and makes the MAD, BAD & mostly harmless ezine with her cousin, autistic writer Joanne Limburg.
Lisa is an accomplished author, editor and facilitator. Lisa is excited to be providing access support for Elinor on this amazing project!
