Design for Feeling Understood
(2025)
author(s): Amber Gastel
published in: Royal Academy of Art, The Hague
This thesis explores how late-diagnosed autistic individuals and their close circle can redesign their relationship after their diagnosis through communication that aligns with autistic ways of being. Grounded in the neurodiversity paradigm, the social model of disability, and the double empathy problem, the research combines interviews, co-creation sessions, and visual storytelling to uncover emotional and relational dynamics during post-diagnosis identity shifts. Through a neurodivergent lens—rooted in sensory awareness, pattern recognition, and visual thinking—this work challenges deficit-based narratives and proposes a compassionate, co-created communication framework. The goal is not assimilation but mutual understanding: enabling autistic individuals to embrace their authentic selves while guiding loved ones to meet them with compassion and openness. Ultimately, the project reimagines design as a tool for creating connection, not correction—honouring difference, restoring balance, and building inclusive systems where all ways of being are valid, visible, and valued.
Eden - a performance
(2025)
author(s): Nína Sigríður Hjálmarsdóttir
connected to: Iceland University of the Arts
published in: Research Catalogue
„Í okkar Eden er lykt af píku og nýslegnu grasi, og hrúga af hálfétnum eplum í horninu. Það er eitthvað skrítið við okkar Eden, eitthvað á ská, eitthvað óþægilegt. Adam & Eva eru ekki að leika hlutverkin sín eins og þau hafa alltaf gert.“
Embla Guðrúnar Ágústsdóttir og Nína Hjálmarsdóttir kafa ofan í sköpunarsöguna og taka sér pláss í sjálfum aldingarðinum upprunalega. Eden er hinsegin fötlunarparadís sem afmiðjar norm samfélagsins og leyfir áhorfendum að finna fyrir hinu erótíska innra með sér.
Pilke silmäkulmassa – Leikki valosuunnittelun apuvälineenä
(2025)
author(s): Siri Ingrid Alisa Haapanen
published in: University of the Arts Helsinki
Opinnäytteeni on taiteellisen tutkimuksen projekti, jonka toteutin osana Taideyliopiston Teatterikorkeakoulun Valosuunnittelun maisteriohjelman opintoja. Projekti tutkii leikkimistä valosuunnittelijan toiminnassa. Tutkin aihetta erilaisin metodein, eli soveltamalla kokeiluja, lähestymistapoja ja tutkimuksellisia keinoja, jotka tukevat ymmärrystäni leikin ja valosuunnittelun välisestä suhteesta.
Tutkimus koostuu kokeellisesta osuudesta, kahden päivän työpajasta, julkisesta tutkimusesittelystä sekä kirjallisesta osiosta. Järjestin kokeellisen osion, Lighthouse Play Club -työpajan, syksyllä 2024 Majakka-tilassa Taideyliopiston Sörnäisten kampuksella. Työpaja oli avoin yleisölle, ja sen tueksi toteutin anonyymin kyselyn kokijoille. Kirjallisessa osuudessa käsittelen havaintoja työpajasta sekä peilaan niitä aiempaan tutkimukseen erityisesti aikuisena leikkimisestä sekä valon leikillisestä potentiaalista taiteessa ja kaupunkitilassa.
Pohdin, mitä leikilliset asenteet voivat tarjota valosuunnittelijan työskentelylle ja miten taiteellisen tutkimuksen praktiikat voivat tukea tätä prosessia. Opinnäyte on julkaistu Research Catalogue -alustalla verkkojulkaisuna, ja se on saatavilla myös PDF-tiedostona.
Artography exposition: A/r/tography and improvisation
(2025)
author(s): Stina O'Connell
published in: Research Catalogue
This exposition investigates the potential of a/r/tography as a methodological framework within an artistic context characterized by improvisation in movement, dance, and theatre. Through a small-scale exploratory study, theory, practice, and reflection are integrated to examine how knowledge and understanding are generated within and through improvised artistic processes. The exposition includes documentation of practical components, reflective writings, and theoretical perspectives, and illustrates how a/r/tography can operate as a dynamic and responsive research methodology within the field of performative arts.
This exposition is part of the peer-reviewed article:
Østern, T. P., Reppen, C., O’Connell, S., & Daneberg, M. (2025). Choreographer/researcher/teacher - developing a/r/tography as an approach to dance pedagogy at Stockholm University of the Arts in a professional learning community of teachers. Nordic Journal of Art & Research, 14(2).
Assignment 6, Nico Classical Cello
(2025)
author(s): Ade Agusto Nicolas
published in: Research Catalogue
Assignment 6
Research Draft
Expert Talks
Keynote Presentations
The Alien Between us
(2025)
author(s): Laura A Dima
published in: Research Catalogue
This thesis, The Alien Between Us, explores the intersection of touch, technology, and human connection through interactive installations designed to foster intimacy, empathy, and ethical engagement. Rooted in a technofeminist framework, the research examines how mediated interactions can challenge power dynamics, reimagine consent, and empower marginalised groups. Drawing on psychoanalysis, affect theory, and feminist philosophy, the work investigates the triadic model of the Imaginary, Symbolic, and Real, as proposed by Jacques Lacan, to analyse human-machine relations and embodied communication.
The installation utilises haptic technologies to create symbolic connections between participants, obscuring identity and gender biases while emphasising bodily empathy and mutual care. Through wearable sculptures and mediated touch, participants engage in spontaneous, fluid interactions that reveal new possibilities for connection and self-awareness. The thesis also critically reflects on the ethical implications of technology, addressing its potential for empowerment as well as its dangers, such as reinforcing societal inequalities.
By integrating personal experiences, artistic practice, and scientific research, the thesis proposes a model of interaction that equalises power dynamics, protects against abuse, and promotes responsibility. It envisions technology not as a tool for exploitation but as a medium for fostering meaningful, inclusive relationships between humans and non-human agents. Ultimately, The Alien Between Us seeks to heal our relationship with technology and the body, offering a vision of a more equitable and empathetic future.
