(1/3) Layers of Perception: SURGE III

Updated: Mar 12, 2024

Natalia Mesa in collaboration with Morenike Magbagbeola, the Wellcome/EPSRC Centre for Surgical and Interventional Science (WEISS) at University College London (UCL), The University of the Arts London Post Graduate Community, and a group of people affected by amputation of limbs.

These months have been a wonderful time of learning, exploring and creating. It all started with an application to the project called SURGE III, run by WEISS at UCL. Once I got through the first round, the next step was to go to UCL and present my practice, emphasizing why I was interested in working alongside a phd researcher, and engaging in social outreach. After everyone presented - including researchers, Simon (the head of WEISS) split us into groups and led a few brainstorming activities for everyone to get to know each other. At the end of this session, we were told that if we wanted to go forward and compete for the grant we needed to to matched to a researcher, so we should send a list in preferential order of who we'd like to work with. After that, if the researcher also wanted to be paired with us, we needed to write up a project proposal that would be assessed in the last round. Only three pairs would be chosen. Fast forward a few months and Reni and I got the grant with this proposal!

"We’re interested in exploring the layered nature of perception and how levels of sensorimotor information construct a holistic experience of consciousness. More specifically, how predictions of texture based on visual information can be met with vibration, and how this communication of texture can give amputees their sense of touch back.

For context: A crucial part of helping the brain accept a prosthetic is making the brain’s expectations of sensation match up with the simulated reality. Timing and accuracy can “trick” the brain into perceiving the texture on the fingertips of the prosthetic, instead of the where vibration motor has been placed on the body. Importantly, this is also therapy for treating phantom limb pain, because when the brain accepts the prosthetic, the sensation of a functioning hand decreases phantom limb symptoms.

Throughout the process of interacting with patients and doctors, we want to focus on the positivities and possibilities of prosthetics with self-adapting vibrational feedback, and then emulate this with the final artworks. We aim to highlight the importance of listening to patients to find the perfect balance between highly developed tech, individual preference and functionality. We also aim to improve the patient's relationship to their prosthetic. By discussing the technology and philosophy with patients and exploring the complexity of touch sensation with doctors and scientists we can help foster healthy emotional connections between the patients and their prosthetics. Hopefully also decreasing any phantom pain and visually explaining how to take advantage of the layered nature of tactile perception."

After meeting with Reni and learning all about her amazing research, we built a workshop plan to reach out to people who used prosthetics, would be interested in the research, and wanted researchers to hear them. This is a blurb from advert we wrote up and published on Eventbrite:

"Join us for a workshop that explores the layered nature of perception and touch sensation. Anyone who has lost an arm or hand and has used or still uses Prosthetics is invited to join us!

The session will be conversation and art based, and the emphasis will be on expressing - both verbally and non verbally - the nuances of touch and navigating them with a prosthetic. We will engage in conversations about experiences with active prosthetics, phantom limb symptoms, and the balance between technology and functionality in prosthetics. We’ll also share personal ideas of the emotional and physical layers of touch, transitioning to making works of art based on these conversations.

Join us for an afternoon of sharing, learning, and making multi-layered artworks that represent your unique experiences.

During the workshop there will be some recording and note taking, and the outcome of the workshop will be a collaborative artwork between the artist and scientist that will be exhibited in March 2024. We may also have the opportunity to exhibit or publish your artworks if you wish."

To prepare for the workshop I made some examples of the art we could made and did the art therapy inspired exercises too so I could show the participants how I (and they) could respond to the activity.