SENSORY ~ Subtle or Surreal ~
This sensory experience was a prototype for Tracey’s emerging research into sensory processing styles and the effect these different styles have on how we experience the world.
Situated within the Central Garden, this experience was unique. It revealed the familiar and the unfamiliar, activating memories and discoveries. Tracey welcomed the audience to an intriguing journey.
About the Work
Tracey’s creative practice is informed by her lived experience and a wide range of career experiences. She is bringing this background forth in an experiential installation for the Alternative Reality Gardening Lab titled Sensory ~ Subtle or Surreal ~
Sensory is an invitation to enjoy a range of sensory investigations based on the nature of land, sea, and air. After interacting with tactile objects, sights, sounds, and scents we are encouraged to reflect inwardly. We may discover memories or new wonderings.
We will explore notions of what is real and what is perceived. How do our expectations influence our senses? What is the difference in feeling when we have new or surprising information to process?
Tracey is intrigued with how our individual point of view in the world is shaped by our unique sensory processing and interpretation styles. She questions how we (humans) ever got so disconnected from our innate natures and world Nature, which we intrinsically live within.
Her desire is to build bridges of understanding between people who hold different perspectives and beliefs. Misunderstandings can result from differing interpretations of the same experience. This can be due to the combination of our personal history of conditioning and the wide range of being “wired” differently (neurologically).
We often try to hide our differences instead of embracing them. All groups that embrace a range of strengths are more resilient, whether it’s biodiversity in an ecosystem or neurodiversity in a community. The trick is learning to recognise and appreciate our different strengths.
The experience is an opportunity to enjoy discovery and understand fresh perspectives. and for Tracey to learn from audience participation.
(Images Nabulen Photography)
About Tracey Willms Deane
Tracey is an accomplished artist with over two decades of experience in sculpting, drawing, painting, print-making, music, writing, installations, and immersive experiences. Recently, she has also been exploring creative technology to build interactive works that explore the interplay of biology, culture, and environmental influences on how we understand the world.
With a Bachelor of Applied Arts and the He Puawai Certificate in Adult and Tertiary Teaching, Tracey is dedicated to helping others unlock their potential and apply creativity to their unique journeys. Her work focuses on finding innovative solutions and self-expression while enjoying a greater resonance with nature.
Tracey currently resides in an off-grid homestead in rural Te Tai Tokerau Northland, Aotearoa | New Zealand, where she enjoys taking long walks with her furry companions and reflecting on nature.
Tracey has contributed work to the ARG publication and symposium, as well as been a valued contributor to the Awhi Incubator Project.
About ARG Lab 24 & Awhi Incubator
This experience is part of the Alternative Reality Gardening Lab – a creative innovation event within the capacity-building Awhi Incubator Project. ARG Lab 24 showcased research conducted by participants and collaborators of the Awhi Incubator during 2023/2024.
Following a successful publication and symposium in 2023, ARG Lab 24 was a transdisciplinary collection of exhibitions, events, performances, workshops, and talks exploring diverse perspectives on place. It occurred across Te Tai Tokerau|Northland from May 17th to the 25th.
Underpinning the lab are themes of resilience, diversity, sustainability, and an expanded understanding of the concept of ‘place”.
Places today are formed from multiple intelligences, materialities, and lifeforms and are intersected by a rich array of alternative realities and parallel worlds. Flora, fauna, signals, and code entangle, and what is considered real, true, alive, and beautiful is negotiated. The lab explores emerging new types of gardens. What is being cultivated (internally, creatively, physically, spiritually)? What is thriving, and what needs protection? What new lifeforms and materials are emerging, and how do they intersect with what exists now?
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Thanks to the Ministry of Culture and Heritage | Manatū Taonga for funding the Awhi Incubator Project through their Innovation Fund.