Ambiguous animal kingdom
What is a perceptive strategy to stimulate the imagination of clients with intellectual disabilities? How can seemingly simple interventions make a difference and contribute to better care? In response to these questions, Silo created a wonderful world with ambiguous animals for a care complex at the estate of Ipse de Bruggen, designed by Andrea Möhn Architects.
Client
Ipse de Bruggen
Partners
Architect: Andrea Möhn Architects
Everyone can participate
Ipse de Bruggen provides care for children and adults with intellectual disabilities. The institution allows everyone to participate in their individual way. The organisation offers treatment, daytime activities or assisted living at various locations in the Netherlands.
Antithesis
Silo developed a series of animal figures that play a trick on reality. Their skin forms an antithesis to the animal’s archetypal qualities. Plumpy hippos become as ethereal as a foam bubble; fluffy bunnies turn out to be prickly like a cactus, and grey swine are made of precious shiny pearls. The discrepancy between what something is and how it looks is emphasised ingeniously.
The visuals have been applied to the walls of offices and the consultation rooms in which Ipse staff converse with clients and their families.
Visual semiotics
The result is visuals that celebrate the surreal. By giving room to diverse personal interpretations, they encourage interaction and discussion. As a spectator, you can make your judgment about the image and the message it communicates. Perhaps things are not what they seem. The ambiguous animals stimulate the imagination, providing a lasting impression.
