The story is in the details
–
Amber van Gastel
–
Amber van Gastel
What is it like to be you? That is quite a big question, right?
For those diagnosed with autism later in life, that question becomes more than abstract—it becomes personal. It often means rethinking who you thought you were and seeing that you have been hiding parts (a form of self-protection often referred to as masking) of yourself to belong and then trying to share that shift with others. But instead of being met with understanding, you’re often asked a different version of the same question: What is it like to have autism?
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At its core, this project is about voice—about giving autistic people, including myself, space to rediscover and express our own. Autism is not a deficit; it’s a way of being. But many of us feel disabled by environments that aren’t designed for us. Clinical definitions still describe autism from the outside—how we look, not how we feel. And while we’re often labelled as poor communicators, maybe we just communicate differently.
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This project is designed around that idea. At its centre is a cabinet of curiosities—an everyday space where many of us get ready to face the world, put on a mask, and practice conversations. Inside, you’ll find trinkets that serve as conversation starters, such as a mask made from pills, which sparks discussion about the medical model of disability. There’s also a workshop space in the back. During the workshop, the participants will play a card game, built on images, poems, and terms that invite associative, intuitive dialogue—another way of speaking that aligns with autistic communication styles.
So, each element of this cabinet invites a small, zoomed-in exchange. Together, these details form a more nuanced and human understanding of what it can mean to be autistic. Because sometimes, the story really is in the details.
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For those diagnosed with autism later in life, that question becomes more than abstract—it becomes personal. It often means rethinking who you thought you were and seeing that you have been hiding parts (a form of self-protection often referred to as masking) of yourself to belong and then trying to share that shift with others. But instead of being met with understanding, you’re often asked a different version of the same question: What is it like to have autism?
This project is designed around that idea. At its centre is a cabinet of curiosities—an everyday space where many of us get ready to face the world, put on a mask, and practice conversations. Inside, you’ll find trinkets that serve as conversation starters, such as a mask made from pills, which sparks discussion about the medical model of disability. There’s also a workshop space in the back. During the workshop, the participants will play a card game, built on images, poems, and terms that invite associative, intuitive dialogue—another way of speaking that aligns with autistic communication styles.
So, each element of this cabinet invites a small, zoomed-in exchange. Together, these details form a more nuanced and human understanding of what it can mean to be autistic. Because sometimes, the story really is in the details.
