Sandra Lange approaches art experience as a tool for social transformation through interaction. Situated in the Netherlands and collaborating internationally, their work is rooted in a frictional crip artistic practice where initiating conversation on subjects society is inclined to dismiss is considered to be the core business.
The word ‘friction’ refers to the practices of identifying phenomena of social injustice, and the friction that is caused by articulating them. In this practice, friction is considered a valuable tool for opening up a discussion about the economy and value of knowledge.
By using the word ‘crip’, Lange refers to a crip understanding of ancestry and lays a claim to her personal experience of living with complex embodiment. Thus identifying as a female disabled person, an activist, an artist and a researcher.
The crip aspect also makes her a member of a community that never gathers. Following Ahsan (2017), the most accessible form of protest that is afforded to the community's members, is the occupy bedroom movement. Coming from a place of disability identity denialism and ongoing social isolation, Lange's understanding of the interlocking systems of privilege and power has come about through involvement with non-academic contexts of art, activism and intersectional scholarship. These have impacted personal and professional decision-making processes.