Hands led hands. Hands taught hands. Hands gently felt, researched and read …
For all those who can see, all this is self-evident. Most of us never consider all the everyday challenges of people with blindness and visual impairment who also use their creativity to express the images of their world.
For the next few months, we have the opportunity to walk a few steps in the shoes of the visually impaired. In Zgornje Posoče we can visit an exhibition that will open our eyes in a different way. As part of the Tactile Artwork study circle, the Soča Valley Development Centre in collaboration with the Inter-Municipal Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired Nova Gorica (MDSS) organised a tea party at the opening of a travelling exhibition of tactile artworks Expressions of my world, which were created by the participants of the study circle. The most interesting feature of the exhibition is that the visitors can experience it through different stimulation glasses, which allow them to experience different types of visual impairment and loss.
The participants of the study circle – adults with blindness or visual impairment – first researched different topics. Then they used the selected topic as an inspiration for creation of tactile artworks from different materials such as sand, colours, paper, etc. under the mentorship of Stanka Golob, academic painter. Their goal was to prepare a travelling exhibition for social connection with the seeing and to raise awareness among them about artistic expressions of the blind and visually impaired adults and their position in the society.
The travelling exhibition also visited Kobarid, Tolmin and Bovec. Afterwards, the exhibition will be offered to the MDSS Association, which will set up the final exhibition to sell the art works. The collected funds will be used for implementation of rehabilitation programmes for people with blindness and visual impairment in the local and wider area.
The study circle was funded by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport and the Kobarid Municipality.
Patricija Rejec and Tatjana Šalej Faletič (patricija.rejec@prc.si), Soča Valley Development Centre
