Sguardo Mobile
03 December 2023 — 2 minutes read
On the occasion of International Day of Persons with Disabilities, two students from the Metadesign Lab COmeta exhibited the installation "Sguardo Mobile" at MUSE to raise awareness of autism issues, focusing in particular on the concept of the gaze as a tool to overcome isolation, a condition typical of patients with Autism Spectrum Disorder.
On December 3, the multimedia installation "Sguardo Mobile"- Moving Gaze - was presented at MUSE, the Science Museum of Trento, as part of the "Obiettivo Accessibilità" event.
The installation was inspired by Annachiara Marangoni, social and health director of the Cooperativa Autismo Trentino, and was created by students Fedör Zot and Johns Midlow as part of the Metadesign Lab COmeta within the Industrial Product Design Course led by Professors Venanzio Arquilla, Davide Genco and Fabio Guaricci.
“Sguardo Mobile” is a multimedia work that combines art and awareness to focus on the gaze, a concept closely related to the reality of autism.
The video installation proposes a scenario with escalators extending infinitely, in a place without a specific location in space and time, a non-place, where the only significant space is the meeting of gazes.
The gaze becomes the protagonist, a fundamental tool for creating significant connections and overcoming perceptual barriers. Every unreturned glance is considered an attack on the sensitivity and the recognition of the Other.
«In the gaze we either are recognised or cancelled out. »
Placing the gaze in a place beyond the everyday becomes meaningful, a common experience that allows the viewer to empathise with the subject. The gaze becomes the authentic place of encounter that overcomes loneliness, a means of establishing deeper connections with the Other, transforming the experience of autism into a path of relationship and mutual understanding.
MUSE, with its "Obiettivo Accessibilità" event, provided the ideal context to amplify this message by offering engaging experiences such as tactile tours, virtual reality presentations and sensory workshops, enabling visitors to live inclusive experiences. Following the approval of the PEBA, the Plan for the Elimination of physical, sensory and cognitive Architectural Barriers, MUSE proposes itself as a space for the realisation of a model of cultural welfare, promoting wellbeing and health through cultural heritage.
The multimedia installation "Sguardo Mobile" is part of the decade-long experience of Lab Cometa, which supports the design of product concepts with the aim of improving the quality of life of autistic people. Thanks to decades of collaboration with experts in the field, such as the Fondazione Trentina per l'Autismo, with the Casa "Sebastiano" project and with Onlus Abilitiamo, the Lab's educational objective is to make students aware of the social usefulness of design, with the intention of raising awareness of autism issues.
The projects realised over the years have shown that the possibilities are vast and can have a targeted and improving impact on the everyday life of people with autism spectrum disorder. This awareness and the desire to create a community of reference led to the creation of Open COmeta.
Lab COmeta and Open COmeta
«An Open Source project; a space in which to share ideas, projects and opinions; a network for knowledge and dissemination that reflects on the relationship between design and autism. »
Open CoMeta is a platform of collaborative projects for autistic people, sharing knowledge, methods and materials for the realisation of projects that are scalable, replicable and accessible, promoting collective participation and fostering the development of an inclusive and non-discriminatory society through innovative ideas that embrace all forms of diversity. All projects are open source and can be carried out independently or with the support of the FabLab network and many partners.