For someone who has experienced trauma, the body never fully switches off. The sympathetic nervous system can remain on alert, turning the night into a hostile environment and waking into an abrupt return to heightened awareness.
Nocturne responds to this condition through a sequence of objects embedded within the private domestic environment, accompanying three critical phases: falling asleep, the night itself, and waking.
Drawing on polyvagal theory and the circadian mechanisms of light, the project translates biological processes into sensory cues. A gradual dimming of light accompanies the transition into sleep. Steady weight and gentle warmth support a sense of continuity throughout the night, while a slow increase in light prepares the body for waking before the eyes even open.