Touch me Tiles
Proposal for Hospital Rooms
I am an Argentinian Multidisciplinary Visual Artist , living in South London since 2008. My practice is informed by my experience as an immigrant mother and carer of two neurodiverse children.
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I use Photography, Ceramics, Drawing and building materials exploring the tension between outside stimulus and the internal’s body’s perception. Through my work I question ideas of the body as a fixed container for cultural concepts, inherited patterns, neurodiversity and mental health.I am currently exploring ways in which these themes can be contextualised into the socio-political context and movements related to the Politics of care.
I am also a passionate Community project leader, and the Founder Mother of the award-winning project Maternal Journal which provides free support for new mothers’ mental health through Art and journaling sessions. I run workshops locally and I also lead a Photography club at BritKids for young people, aged 8yo-18 yo from diverse backgrounds.
Recent collaborations & commissions include: “I see you”, a Photography curatorial project championing the work of carers (Fringe Bath Arts, May 2023); “This is where we live” book cover by Harper & Collins. 2023.
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In December 2023 I was commissioned by the London Borough of Sutton to create a cyanotype animated artwork, made up of over 3,500 images. The 9 minute film was projected on the rear facade of Whitehall Historic House. I drew on archive & new imagery to create a living, breathing, constantly changing representation of where I live.
In 2022 I completed my first Public Art commission, ‘The Fabric of Society’, a large-scale mural combining Photography & mosaic techniques in community workshops with BAME groups which informed the final design.
In 2021, I was awarded an Artist Grant from Artists Network Sutton to run an online Photography Journaling Project for mothers & carers living in Sutton Borough. The workshops culminated in an edited & published catalogue.
My work has been included in the Procreate Project Archive & appeared in publications and online exhibitions by PhMuseum , Shutterhub and Photofusion.
TOUCH ME TILES Proposal
I have spent most of the first 2 years of my kids’ lives in hospitals and we are still regulars to certain wards due to their needs. This greatly affected our mental health, the experience of the places and processes added an extra weight to physical issues already present.This is why i am incredibly passionate about changing people’s experiences (specially kids) in the medical environment.
It’s estimated that between 5-16.5% of the general population has symptoms of sensory processing disorder or has challenges in the sensory processing department.Sensory processing issues tend to impact children the most, with as many as 1 in 6 kids having these challenges*. Although it is possible that adults suffering are obliged to “just put up with it” or have developed some coping mechanisms.
Since completing The Fabric of Society mural I have been creating my own tiles. Touch is a very important part of my process and having to develop and deliver sensory experiences for my students and my own kids I would like to create a series of Sensory porcelain tiles.
These tiles will be handmade by me using white porcelain. They will have textures that will soothe and relieve when touched.They can be installed at any height (depending on budget and surface to cover)
This work has been inspired by my Latin America roots and my passion to make art accessible. In Latin America churches are common to see the worn off signs of the church goers touching the feet and hands of religious figures. People pray and touch as if this gesture will secure a connection with invisible healing forces. I have seen first hand the comfort in people’s faces when they come in contact with these figures.
The formal abstraction is inspired by years of research on how to help very sensitive children through the handling of objects and the bodily soothing effects this has.
My first proposal is to make the tiles soft to touch,shiny and white. This will help people with visual sensitivities ,as it will be calm as the waves of soft white move through the tiled wall. Porcelain is extremely durable and easy to clean. People will be able to put pressure on the work with their bodies without damaging the piece.
My second idea is to cover the tile with a Thermo sensory paint. This will react to touch, thus changing colour. Hospital equipment is already using this kind of paint in their equipment.
My third idea is to flock the surface of the tiles with soft and bubblegum like colours. Over time the flock will wear off in the most touched areas, changing the work as it ages.
