The Invisibility Lab is an international creative research platform focused on the cross-cultural study and multimedia presentation of the seen and unseen.
My creative practice investigates the phenomenon of invisibility and examines what – and who – is seen, hidden, acknowledged or ignored in social, political, scientific, spiritual and environmental realms. Committed to building a culture of compassion and a world where everyone can walk unafraid, I choreograph multidisciplinary interactions that invite viewers and participants to question the world around them. Audience members become creative researchers actively engaged in the boundaryless study of unseen forces that impact their lives and the world around us.
Gabrielle Senza
Founder & Lead Researcher
I spent most of my younger life wishing to be visible to the people that mattered to me most, while trying to be invisible to the many sexual predators that occupied my world.
Curious to know if other people ever felt unsafe being seen in their lives, or had a longing to be seen, I began to ask people about their experiences.
In 2017 I created the Invisibility Lab, an international pseudo-scientific research platform to deepen my investigation into the phenomenon of invisibility as it is perceived and experienced across cultures.
We resist erasure by speaking our truth.
Over 200 people have participated in the creative research through Invisibility Lab interactions, workshops, performances and creative experiments that have taken place in Berlin, Lisbon, Istanbul, New York, Mexico City, Miami as well as remote parts of Ireland and New England. They have been generous with their time and wisdom as they shared their ideas, theories, and experiences.
Most of the people I talked to said they have felt invisible at some point in their lives, with some stating they feel invisible all the time. More than half said they’d had moments when they wished to be invisible.
I continue to reach more people as I move to online Labs as a response to the invisible threat of novel coronaviruses.
How can we create a culture of compassion and universal belonging that celebrates
both our individual similarities and our differences?
This deceptively simple form promotes introspection and deep thought. I was surprised to find that many participants spent anywhere from 20-40 minutes to fill it out. I hadn’t expected that.
You’re invited to experience the writing exercise for yourself. Click on the image above to download a printable PDF version. We recommend filling it out by hand. Or fill out the online version by clicking here. And if you fill out both versions, we’d love to hear your thoughts on which you prefer.
Gabrielle Senza, 2017, audio, 20’44.
Performance Lecture audio performed at the Invisible Republics Conference in Lisbon in 2017.
Sound collage incorporating voice and text by Gabrielle Senza, The Expanding Universe by Laurie Spiegel, Waken by Markus Reuter & Ian Boddy and audio engineering by Gordon van Huizen.
Special thanks to the musicians for their permission to incorporate their work.
Sometimes I wonder…
INVISIBILITY LAB 