Marenne Welten

We deliberately chose these two paintings to be shown together, because they reveal two sides of sensory overload, a sensation that many neurodivergent people experience. In Girl (left), the face of a young girl almost dissolves into a tangle of color and movement. It resembles television static, where everything blends together and nothing stands on its own anymore. This is often what sensory overload feels like. Sound, light, and smell are all experienced with equal intensity, making it harder to perceive the world clearly. Connecting with others becomes more difficult, and simply functioning in the way that is expected of you can suddenly require a great deal of energy.

Window II (right) conveys a very different atmosphere. The space is enclosed and calmer in both color and form, with minimal sensory stimuli. To us, this represents the kind of space that is needed to regain calm, alone and away from others. Together, these works tell the story of a constant shift between being overwhelmed by the world and seeking the space needed to recharge.

In Girl (left), the face of a young girl almost dissolves into a tangle of color and movement. This is often what sensory overload feels like. Sound, light, and smell are all experienced with equal intensity, making it harder to perceive the world clearly. Window II (right) conveys a very different atmosphere. The space is enclosed and calmer in both color and form, with minimal sensory stimuli. To us, this represents the kind of space that is needed to regain calm, alone and away from others.