The Museum for Object Research
– a project born out of an autistic practice.
– Press Release/ Phase 1
The Museum for Object Research has been granted Arts Council funding for research and development.
The Museum for Object Research (MfOR) launched on a-n blogs in 2014 as an innovative online forum for object artists to share resources and develop a network of like minded practitioners. MfOR quickly sparked the interest and enthusiasm of a core group of professional artists who form a unique community around object work as practice.
Objects as cultural signifiers and material memory comprise the artistic focus of the Museum’s work.
The MfOR blog was originated by artist Sonia Boué, who also leads the Museum’s pioneering initiative to create a template for her work as an autistic arts professional. Artist and educator, Elena Thomas is MfOR’s project co-lead and key to the development of MfOR in its current form.
MfOR is an inclusive collaboration, whose work on autistic leadership seeks to develop best practice outcomes.
We seek partners committed to inclusion and diversity for dialogue, venue spaces, and conference participation. We are keen to explore areas of intersection with other minority groups.
The culmination of this initial phase will be our Arts Council funding bid for MfOR – Phase 2. Exhibition, day conference, artists talks, workshops, publications and a project film are included in our plans.
MfOR is based in Birmingham, Oxford and online.
MfOR Team:
Sonia Boué – project lead/ artist
Elena Thomas – project lead/ artist
Simon Meddings – design
Sarah Mossop – curation
Laura Rhodes – film/ photography
Dr Jacqueline Taylor – research/ conference planning/artist
Kate Murdoch – artist researcher
MfOR Collaboration:
Sonia Boué
Sonia is an autistic multiform artist, creative project developer and manager whose recent work includes a film collaboration with Tate Britain.
Her practice encompasses paint, assemblage, video and performance. Objects form the springboard for the many branches of her work, which is concerned with themes of exile and displacement, with particular reference to family history and the Spanish Civil War. A background in Art History and Art Therapy informs her practice.
Born in Birmingham to an exiled Spanish Republican, she grew up between cultures. Family visits to Spain during the final decade of the Franco dictatorship form the bedrock of her practice as she continues to unpack her grandmother’s handbag.
Her writing on autism can be found on, The Other Side
Elena Thomas
Elena Thomas is a multiform artist and songwriter, creative project developer and manager. She has exhibited nationally and internationally. Her work comprises textiles, installation, performance and song.
Her object inspired practice encompasses touch, both physical & emotional, and the traces of influence of one person on another that are implicit in the objects and garments left behind. Imagined narratives are manifested in the stitching and the songs.
She has collaborated with producer and songwriter Dan Whitehouse on her recent Arts Council Funded Nine Women project.
Her blog writing on Threads forms a large part of her reflective practice and can be found at elenathomas.co.uk
Exhibiting Artists