Exhibition: 52Hz

The photo exhibition “52Hz” is about young people with autism. The title refers to the real-life story of Alice the whale, who communicates at a unique frequency of 52 hertz, making her isolated from other whales. This metaphor reflects the isolation that people with autism can experience. The exhibition featured photo diaries depicting the daily lives of 17-year-old Bei Bei from China and 17-year-old Danish ‘W’, both living with autism.

Chinese photographer Charlene Chen and Danish photographer Andreas Haugaard portrayed them. The exhibition also featured a piece of furniture with 56 drawers containing descriptions of the 56 characteristics associated with autism according to medical science. “52hz” was our attempt to put some nuances on autism – both seen from the inside and the outside. The exhibition was accompanied by a series of autism-related activities – from a theatre performance about being different to a concert featuring 30 children and young people living with autism.