something stranger

In development with Kickstart Disability Art & Culture

Something Stranger is a web-based, multimedia artwork exploring how neurodivergent and mad communities relate to monsters in popular culture. The project invites neurodivergent and mad collaborators to reflect on the questions: how can monsters perpetuate stereotypes about us and contribute to our oppression? How can monsters subvert stereotypes and contribute to our resistance or liberation? Each artist chooses the medium for their reflection (e.g. audio, poetry/prose, photography, illustration, etc.). Audiences encounter these works on a website - an artwork itself which creatively incorporates accessibility in all its phases.

The project is created by people who belong to intersecting equity-denied communities. Disability justice, a concept developed by queer, trans, and BIPOC disabled activists, stresses the importance of centering those most impacted by oppression. All artist contributors to Something Stranger will be neurodivergent and mad people who are also queer, trans and/or BIPOC. The project's title draws from a talk given by trans, trauma-impacted game developer Avery Alder, who said:

“When you are surrounded by a culture that insists upon your monstrosity […] you’re also allowed to interject in their stories, to redefine monstrosity on your own terms, to say, ‘I am something stranger and more powerful than you have vocabulary for, actually.’”

Contributors: Vivian Li, Lissa Neptuno, Brianna Price, Nat Swanson, Lyev K, Anonymous

Access Coordinator: Hannah Sullivan Facknitz
Project Mentor: Jenna Reid
Sound Composer & Designer: Anju Singh
Creative Transcript Designer: Kay Slater
Concept Creator & Project Manager: V (Veronique) West
Artwork of a changeling, a human-like monster with curling horns, sharp claws, and dark pupil-less eyes. They wear headphones with a neurodiversity pride sticker. They look over their shoulder and smile, holding a mask shaped like a human face.
Artwork by V West.