Fundació Joan Miró in Barcelona, Spain is currently presenting Butterfly Logic, a solo exhibition of works by Finnish multidisciplinary artist Inari Sandell, who is based in Helsinki, Finland. The show is on from April 26 - July 7, 2024, at Espai 13 and invites audiences to transpose the evasive zigzagging behaviour of butterflies into a discussion around neurodiversity, especially autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Sandell’s sculptures and installations use objects associated with the treatment of autism and are placed alongside various photographs and videos of butterflies that she took during a visit to the Natural History Museum of Denmark in Copenhagen. Taken together, the installations and visuals at Butterfly Logic propose a new perspective on autism; one that likens the chaotic mental state of an autistic person to the evasive manoeuvres of butterflies to evade predators. Barcelona-based independent writer and curator Irina Mutt, who curated the show, joins STIR in an interview to discuss the bold challenge Sandell issues towards social attitudes surrounding neurodiversity.

The exhibition’s framework regards capitalism as a major driving force behind how we view the neurodiverse, positing that it has led to great anxiety across the globe to ensure that “everything works” (as the press note aptly points out). When asked to expand on what this means, Mutt tells STIR, “Most of the issues related to mental health are treated as individual issues that one has to address as a personal problem, almost something shameful to keep for oneself and to be fixed quickly, so one can return to 'normality' or at least, not disrupt it.”

Most of the issues related to mental health are treated as individual issues that one has to address as a personal problem, almost something shameful to keep for oneself and to be fixed quickly, so one can return to 'normality' or at least, not disrupt it.” - Irina Mutt, independent writer and curator

Mutt believes that art is a potent means of expressing alternative approaches to neurodiversity. As an example, she mentions that it would be quite radical to view mental health as a collective issue; certainly an interesting proposition when one looks at the growing number of individuals worldwide being diagnosed with autism, attention deficiency hyperactive disorder (ADHD) or even chronic depression. In Mutt’s words, “Addressing problems collectively can be potentially dangerous for the hegemonic system, as it could be a way to address the fact that what is not working maybe capitalism itself, rather than neurodivergent individuals.” One should note that as the aforementioned diagnoses surge worldwide, so too, do work hours and the average cost of living, among many other metrics associated with work culture and social lifestyles.

The Finnish artist creates work that questions dichotomies such as functional/dysfunctional and strength/vulnerability through the interplay of hard and soft materials like nails and light fabrics. As Mutt tells STIR, “[The artist creates] an ambivalence that—at least to me—reflects on how binary concepts have many greys and blurry zones in between, rather than being opposed. Like in the case of being neurotypical versus being neurodiverse.”

As mentioned, the works in Butterfly Logic also integrate objects associated with the treatment of autism. Take, for example, the sculpture Gravity Blanket (2021), which consists of a blanket created out of transparent fabric and shattered glass, that hangs from the ceiling. Gravity or weighted blankets are believed to reduce anxiety and improve focus for autistic individuals by making them feel more emotionally secure and physically grounded.

The videos and the photographs of butterflies that audience members may view alongside Sandell’s sculptures suggest that neurodiverse individuals can tap into the flitting, chaotic manner in which their minds think, to survive and resist the hegemonic structures that seek to reduce them to human forces of capital. While Sandell is neurodivergent herself and has a personal stake in the topics that her work addresses, the responsibility of advocating for progressive approaches towards neurodivergence falls upon all of us. Butterfly Logic, then, is a compelling primer to what such approaches may look like.

‘Butterfly Logic’ is on at Fundació Joan Miró in Barcelona from April 26 - July 7, 2024.