symbols culture of death & cultural life · 2017. 3. 15. · symbols “culture of death &...
TRANSCRIPT
1
SYMBOLS Culture of Death & Cultural Life Good practices to attract the visually impaired people target audience to the built heritage
2
Good Practices case studies with Blind
INDEX Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 Slovenia.Pobrežjecementery.Maribor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 United Kingdom . Houses of Parliament . London . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9 Argentina . Cementerio La Recoleta . Buenos Aires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 Greece.MuseumTactual.Athens . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13 UnitedKingdom.TateGallery.London . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15 VaticanCity.VaticanCityMuseums . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17 Portugal.TheCommunityMuseumofBatalha . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Canada . CanadianMuseumforHumanRights(CMHR),Winnipeg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 USA . Instituto de Artes . Detroit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24 Germany . DialogueintheDark,Hamburg . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Spain.MuseodelPrado.Madrid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Conclusions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30 Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32 Credits . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33
“TheEuropeanComissiónsupportfortheproductionofthispublicationdoesnotconstituteanendorsementofthecontentswhichreflectstheviewsonlyoftheauthors,andtheCommissioncannotbeheldresponsibleforany use which may be made of the information contained therein .”
3
INTRODUCTION
SYMBOLS“CultureofDeath&CulturalLife:NewAudiencesandCreationsaroundEuropeanCemeteries”isainternationalculturalcooperationprojectco-financedbytheprogram“CreativeEurope”oftheEuropeanCommission.Theproject,ledbytheAvilésCityCouncilthroughitsMunicipalFoundationforCulture,alsogathers partners such as a Slovenian public company responsible for the management of the cemeteries in thevillageofMaribor,theCultureDepartmentoftheCityofGenoainItaly,theDundeeandAngusCollegeinScotland,themunicipalassociationofNebbiuinCorsica,andtheLimerickInstituteofTechnologyinIreland,apubliceducationcentrededicatedtotheteachingofartanddesign.
Theprojecttriestofosterexchangeandartisticcreativity,aswellasaccesstoculture,utilisingfunerarysymbology as a source of inspiration and common theme .
Amongitsobjectives,wecouldhighlight:• Thetransnationalexchangeofculturalandcreativeworks(mobilityinartistsandproducts)• Theworkwithnewaudiences,usingcemeteriesas“openairmuseums”• Thepromotionintheuseofnewtechnologies
Forthispurpose,withinSYMBOLS,thefollowingmainactivitieshavebeencarriedout:• Creationofinventariesanddefinitionofcommonartisticelements(symbols),andcreationofguidesandactivitieswithandforthenewgenerations,inparticularthroughanappforaugmentedrealitycalled“ARTOUR”.
• Workonaccesstoheritagewithandforaudienceswithhearingorvisualdisabilities,andtheadaptationofARTOURfortheirneeds.
• Organisationofthecurrenttouringandmultidisciplinaryexhibitionthatpresentsthecreatedworksbymorethan40Europeanartiststhrough2artisticresidencies
• Exchangeandtransferenceoftheexperiencethroughworkshopsandthecreationofbestpracticeguides,inparticularthosedirectedtothemembersoftheAssociationofSignificantCemeteriesinEurope(ASCE).
4
INTRODUCTION
Withinthisframework,thiscurrentpublicationsummarisestheactivitiesandbestpracticescreatedtobringtheconstructedandartisticheritagetopeoplewhoareblindorsufferfromvisualdisabilities,throughaselectionofapplicableexamplesinEuropeancemeteries.Thisguideisaimedateducationalstaffandalsoatthemanagementstaffofcemeteries,membersofASCE,withaviewtoshareresourcesandexperiencesabout cemeteries as artistic resources .
5
Slovenia. Pobrežje cementery. Maribor
Audience
1blindperson,60yearsold
Resource
Pobrežjecemetery,Maribor;September5th2016
Activities carried out
Thepurposeofthemeetingandguidedvisitwastodiscovertheactualissuesblindpeoplemayhaveatdiscovering cemeteries and the heritage at the cemeteries .
Thefindingswouldhelpusachieve2goals:• ToimprovetheARTOURapptobeusedbytheblindandbypeoplewithvisualdisabilities.• Todeveloppossiblevisitingroutesorothersolutionsfortheblindandforpeoplewithvisualdisabilities.
Outcomes
Duringthemeetingwediscussedseveralaspectsofhowsuchpeopleperceivetheirsurroundings,whattechnologies may help them and what are their actual needs .
6
Slovenia
Asitturnedout,completelyblindpeoplestilllackpropertechnologicalsolutionsinorientationandguidancesolutions.Devicesthatcurrentlyexistarenothelpfulforanumberofreasons:
• their accuracy is not good enough and may put them at risk .• many events occur rapidly in today’s world and changes are too quick for devices to understand and interpretthemcorrectly(abusmaybestanding20moutsideusualpointduetoconstructionwork)
• devicesarenotreadyforcompletelyblindpeople(nobuttons,justscreens)ortheyaredevelopedonplatforms that are not fully supported .
Forallthesereasonspeoplewhoarecompletelyblinsareworsesupportedthanthosewithreducedvision.
7
Slovenia
Ontheotherhand,peoplewithreducedvisioncanbenefitalotbysimpletechnologicalsolutions.Theyarealreadyusingmobiledevicesandcertainadaptationscanmakeanappveryuseful.Wehavediscoveredthefollowingpossibilitiesinthisregard:
• make the app ready for disabilities mode• add audio guiding• addaudiorecordingsofthetext•
ThesefeatureswillbeaddedtoARTOURduringtheprojecttoenhancetheuserexperience.In the future, the ARTOUR team plans to enhance the navigation systems by implementing guidingtechnology were available .
Evaluation from the organization
ForPogrebnoPodjetjeMaribor,whomanagesthecemetery,thevisitwasinterestinginthatithighlightedmany real life obstacles that need to be approached carefully in the future to make it possible for blind peopletoexploreculturalheritageatthecemeteries.Ontheotherhand,wehavediscoveredfromtheblindpersonthatitisreallyaverylimitedissueinmodernworld,sinceonly3people inMariborarecompletelyblind.Theyneedassistance formostof their lifeoutside their house or going to unusual places. Therefore, it is economically and otherwise very hardto make solutions on a small scale . Solutions need to be found and addressed on a bigger scale by internationalcooperation,yetadaptedatsmallscales(asinparticularcemetery).
8
Slovenia
Evaluation from the audience
Theblindpersonandhiscaregiverwerepleasantlysurprisedbytheoverallexperienceandideathatthereis actually someone working on these issues in this way . As a real marginal group of population they do not often get that much attention .Theideaaboutrealpricesthatwasdiscussedatthemeeting(withguidingtechnology)attractedmuchoftheirattentionsincetheyareofteninclinedtolearnaboutnewsolutionsatamuchlaterstage.Normallyittakesforexample2yearsforthemtogetalongwithatraineddog.
The main difficulties and the key successful aspects
Themaindifficultywastoactuallygetanyonefromthistargetgroupandarrangeameetingduetotheverynarrowtargetgroupwewerelookingfor(completelyblindpeople).Furthermore,itwasreallyhardtoplan anything beyond a meeting and short guiding tour since we did not have any previous knowledge or experienceonthismatter.Thebiggestsuccesswastoacquireplentyofin-depthinformationaboutpossiblefuturearrangementsforblind people and for people with reduced vision .
Recommendations
Oneofthekeyopportunitieswouldbetoengageinjointprojectsthatwouldfosterthedevelopmentofguided tours in institutions .
9
United Kingdom. Houses of Parliament
Resource
Houses of Parliament
Audience
Blind and partially sighted visitors
Contact
www.parliament.uk/visiting/visiting-and-tours/tours-of-parliament/tactile-tours/
Description
UK residents who are blind or partially sighted can arrange a fully guided tactile tour of the Houses of Parliament free of charge .
In order to develop a real sense of the building and its history, visitors havethe opportunity to talk to the House of Parliament team before the tours start and touch various specially made models and otherobjects.
The tours then follow a route covering
10
United Kingdom
WestminsterHall,CentralLobby,theLordsChamberin the House of Lords and the Commons Chamber in theHouseofCommons.Thereareplentyofobjectsanditemsoffurnituretoexplorealongthetourroute.
Tours run between 10-12 times per year, usuallylate on Friday afternoon, and last approximately120 minutes . Visitors are recommended to arrive 60 minutes prior to the start of the tour to allow time to explorethetactileobjectsinWestminsterHallandtovisit the facilities before the start of the tour .
Booking requests should be made using the online tactilefromavailableatthewebsite:
http://www.parliament.uk/visiting/visiting-and-tours/tours-of-parliament/tactile-tours/touch-tour-booking-form/
All applications will be entered into a ballot three weeks before each tour date and successful applicants willbecontactedtoconfirmtheirbookingrequest.
The Houses of Parliament run regular training sessions for team members and staff to complete acustomisede-learningcourseondisabilityawareness.Training isprovided tohelp themknowhow toassistvisitorswhoarewheelchairusers,visitorslivingwithdementia,visitorswithmentalhealthproblemsand visitors with special educational needs .
11
Argentina. La Recoleta. Buenos Aires
Resource
LaRecoletacementery,BuenosAires
Audience
Blind people
Contact
www.cementeriorecoleta.com.arcementerio-recoleta@buenosaires.gob.ar
Description
InBuenosAires,LaRecoletaisoneofthemostpopularcemeteries,andhasbecomeatouristattraction,providing guided tours free of charge .
Thecemeterystarteditsactivityin1822,andalthoughinitsbeginningsitwasaRomanCatholiccemeterybydenomination,itlaterbecamesecular,andtodayitsgravesandtombsgatherpeoplefromallbeliefsandreligions.Thissitehostsover5,000people,amongstwhoarepoliticians,NobelPrizerecipients,artistsandcitizens.
Thecemeteryisrenownedforitsnumerousandbeautifulsculptures,mostofthemdepictingangels.
12
Argentina
Thegravesandtombsof thewealthiestfamilies in the country have become an interestingsight,whereonecanadmirefrom classical style constructions to art nouveau. The artistic diversity of thecemetery is such that many students of art and architecture visit it as part of their practical classes .
Overthelastfewyears,somecompaniesand tourist guides that specialise in the contents of the cemetery have been providing guided tours for blind people . The visits are adapted to individual orgroup requirements and start with an informal talk about the neighbourhood of Recoletas, where the cemetery issituated.Afterwards,avisitispaidtotheChurchofElPilarandthecemetery.
At LaRecoletaCemetery, visitors come in contactwithbeautiful sculptures,discovering through theirtactformsandtexturesthathavebeenpreviouslydescribed.Furthermore,thevisit includesreadingofcommemorativeplaques,whichareaptforblindpeoplegiventheirraisedlettering.
13
Resource
TactualMuseum,Athens
Audience
Blind or visually impaired
Contact
Description
The Tactual Museumwasfoundedin1984anditishousedonatwo-floorneo-classicalbuildinginKallithea,Athens(Greece).Itaims at providing to visually impaired people the opportunity to come in touch with ancient Greek Culture .
TheexhibitsintheTactualMuseum,-statues,vessels,sculpturesandusefulartifacts-areexactreplicasoftheoriginalswhicharedisplayedintheMuseumsofGreece,suchastheNationalArchaeologicalmuseum,theAcropolis,Delphi,Olympia,HeraklionMuseumsandtheMuseumofCycladicArt,datedbacktotheCycladic,Minoan,Geometric,Archaic,AustereRythm,Classical,HellenisticandRomanperiods.
Greece. Museum Tactual. Athens
14
Greece
ItalsoincludesaByzantinesection,whichconsistsofwoodcarvedtemple,epitaphsandicons,aswellasamodelofaByzantineChurchandseveralreligiousartifacts.ThereisalsoanewexhibitiondedicatedtotheeducationofthepublicregardingtheOlympicGamesandtheParaOlympics,whichwasintroducedbytheCultureMinistry’sGeneralSecretaryoftheOlympicGames.InthelobbycanbefoundtheMascotsandthesymbolsoftheOlympicGameswhichhavebeenreproducedinanaglyphformbytheartistMariaVeropoulou,aswellasreliefmapsofAthenswiththeOlympicFacilitiespointedout.
Educational programmes
Εducationalprogramsforchildrenaged6-12,cantakeplaceuponrequest.Thechildrenareinvitedtotouchandfeeltheexhibitsandtrytoconceptualizethesculpturesbytouch.Theuse of masks during the educational games help the sighted children have a better understanding of the problems visually impaired individuals encounter . Educationalprogramsarealsoavailableuponrequestontheweekends.
At theTactualMuseum,programsforeducatingteachers in Interpretationofseminarsareoffered.Theprogramisdirectedatteachersofpre-schoolandelementaryschool
15
United Kingdom. Tate Gallery
Resource
TateGallery
Audience
Blind or visually impaired
Contact
Description
TateGalleryprovidesseveraltypesofservicesforblindorvisuallyimpaired:• Braille and large print gallery plans are available from the Information desks .• Touchtours: they includeasculpture thatcanbeexploredthroughdirecthandlingandanumberofothertwoandthreedimensionalworksthatareexploredusingacombinationofraisedimages,handlingobjects,descriptionanddiscussion
• Visualdescription:Thetalkstakeplaceseatedinthegallerywithtrainedpicturedescribersgivingadetailed and fascinating description of the works . Sighted escorts and guide dogs are welcome .
16
United Kingdom
• on line tools: i-Map is an online art resourcedesigned for visually impaired people with a general interest in art, art teachers and theirvisually impaired pupils. It incorporates text,audio,imageenhancementanddeconstruction,animation and raised images . Rather than examining the entire artwork at once, i-Mapintroducesdetailinacarefullyplannedsequence,gradually building towards an understanding of thework as awhole.Used in conjunctionwiththetext-onlyfacilityonthewebsite,thedrawingsbring to life the visual elements of the art works forthosepeoplewhohavenousefulsight.Theycan be accessed from the raised images on thewebsiteandcanbeordered fromtheRNIBRaised Images Service .
The initialphaseof i-Map launched in2002 focusedon four pairs of works by Henri Matisse and PabloPicasso. It explored their artistic innovations,influences and motivations, as well as some of thekeyconceptsinmodernart.Thesecondphase,TheEveryday Transformed, focuses on six new worksfromTate’scollectionbyartistswhoallshareaninterestinthematerialrealityofeverydaylifeandincludesanexplorationofmovements suchasSurrealism,Dada,Futurism,PopArt andRayonism.Thise-toolhas received widespread recognition including winning a BAFTA Interactive Entertainment Award forAccessibilityin2002,beingshort-listedfortheVisionaryDesignAwardsin2002,andreceivingaspecialcommendationattheJodiMattesAwards2003.
17
Vatican City. Vatican City Museums
Resource
VaticanCityMuseums
Audience
Blind
Contact
Description
The Vatican Museums haveavailable2differenttours,freeofcharge,forblindandvisuallyimpairedaudiences:
• TactiletourswhichenablevisitorswhoareblindorvisuallyimpairedtoexploreaselectionoforiginalsculpturesondisplayintheGregorianProfaneMuseum.
• AmultisensoryitinerarytoexploreaselectionofworksintheVaticanPinacoteca(PictureGallery).Theaimofthistouristoenablethesevisitorstounderstandichnographicallyaselectionofmasterpieces,byallowingthemtotouchthermoformedpanelsandscalereproductionbas-reliefs,equippedwhichBraille legends and black print descriptions .
18
Vatican City
Duringthetour,thevisitors’ideaoftheworkofartisstimulatedthroughothersenses,soastofacilitatethere-elaborationoftheartisticmessage.Multidisciplinarydidacticcommunicationsystemsareused,suchas literary and musical stimuli as well as multisensory systems using analytic and synesthetic references .
Visit Details
• Syncretic and analytic reading of the works of art reproduced on the thermoformed panels and on thescalereproductionbas-reliefs.In-depthstudyofthesubject,includingthedifferentaspectsandeffectsofthecomposition,techniques,formandcolour.
• Thevisitorcanlistentopoetryreadingandmusic,whichtogetherwithanalogical,syncreticreferences(aural,olfactory,tactile,etc.),stimulatedbytheguide,evoketheimagesdepicted,enablingvisitorstoexperiencetheworkofartinitsentirety.
• Thisguidedtouroffersthepossibilityoftouchingafragmentofafrescowiththedetailofthehalooftheangel,byMelozzo,andasectionofthepaintingportrayingtheshroudoftheDeposition,created-assimilaraspossibletotheoriginal-byexpertrestorers.
GuidedogsfortheblindmayentertheMuseumsprovidedtheyarekeptonaleadandwearamuzzle.Inthecaseofentrywithaguidedog,thevisitormustcommunicatetheirintentiontovisitonedayinadvance.
19
Portugal. The Community Museum of Batalha
Resource
TheCommunityMuseumofBatalha,Portugal
Audience
Blind or visually impaired
Contact
Description
TheMCCBisasmalllocalcommunitymuseummanagedbytheTownCouncilofBatalha.
In2009,theBatalhaMunicipalityagreedtosetupanewmuseum–MuseudaComunidadeConcelhiadaBatalha[BatalhaCommunityMuseum]witha“Museumforall”approach.Thedesiretotakethechallengewasbasedonpolitical,socialandeconomicreasonsand,aboveall,onthebeliefthatbyusingsuchanapproach an otherwise small and local museum could gain visibility and recognition .
20
Portugal
MCCB engaged a team of experts, led by Dr. Joselia Neves, from different scientific and technicalbackgrounds and with different skills who worked together as interdisciplinary production team. Anadvisory committee was also established representing the interests of blind people and people from other disability groups .
InordertomakethemuseumaccessibleforBlindorvisuallyimpairedaudiences:• Touchableobjectswereincorporatedintothepermanentcollectionwithincabinetsandshowcasesweredesignedtobeaccessibletoeveryone;
• Audiodescription,includingguidedtouch,wasincorporatedinthestandardaudioguide.Theaudioguideincludeddescriptionandthevoicesoflocalpeoplewiththemoregeneralinformationofferedbythenarrator;
• In thedesignated spotson the audio tour that allowed for touch, real objects, replicasor raisedpicturesweredisplayedtoallowdirectcontact;
• All printed texts wereavailable in Braille . Information presented in digital formats, suchas virtual books on interactivedisplays,werealso available in analogue formats (i.e. paper),videos were subtitled,and colourful pictures andsmallprinttextswerealso made available in black and white, highcontrast and big print .
21
Portugal
TheAdvisoryCommitteeplayedakeyroleintheMuseumcollectiondesignandplanning.Agoodexampleofitwasthe3DmodeloftheMonastery,conceivedtoshowthedifferentphasesinwhichtheMonasterywasbuilt.Theoriginalconceptwastocreateavideoshowing3Dvirtualreconstructionofthearchitecturalchanges in theMonastery. Thiswouldbe supportedby three 3Dprinted tactilemodels showing howeachofthe“new”phasescontributedtothearchitecturalwhole.Themodelsweremadeusingadditivetechnology, faithful toscaleanddetail,andwerebeautifulcleanwhitepiecesthatwere intendedtobeappealing to the eye and touch .
Initial tests by the blind or visually impaired representatives at the advisory committee soon made it clear thatthesefaithfulreplicaswerefartoodetailedandontoosmallascaletobeinformative.ThefirststeptakeninresponsetothiswastoprovidetheadvisorswithtactilereplicasoftheMonastery’sgargoyles.Thesize, textureand,aboveall, theirsimplicityresulted inthegargoylesbeing identifiedasoneofthehighlights of the museum by the advisory panel .
22
Resource
CanadianMuseumforHumanRights(CMHR),Winnipeg
Audience
Blind or visually impairedl
Contact
LisePinkos-ResponsabledeProgramasEducativos(Manager,EducationPrograms)[email protected]
Description
SightUnseen:InternationalPhotographybyBlindArtistsisthefirstmajorexhibitionofworkbyacclaimedinternationalblindphotographers,uniquelyenhancedbytheCMHR.Itexplorestheideathatblindpeoplecanoftenseeinwaysthatsightedpeoplecannot.Thecoreexhibitionfeaturesphotographsbyartistswithvariousdegreesofvisionlosswhousedifferenttechnologiesandcreativemethodstoexpresswhattheysee .
Sight Unseen is also the first museum exhibition in the world to use cutting-edge technology by3DPhotoWorksthatcreatesthree-dimensional,tactileversionsofthephotographsforpeoplewithvisionloss .
Canada. Museum for Human Rights (CMHR). Winnipeg
23
Canada
Theimagesarecreatedinathree-stepprocess.First,thetwo-dimensionalimageisconvertedinto3Ddata.Next,thedataissenttoamachinethatsculptstheimageinablockofsubstrate,givingitlength,width,depthandtexture.Inthefinalstep,theimageislaidbackdownontopofthereliefinperfectregistration.
Touch-activated sensors are also embedded in theprints toprovide audiodescriptions andnarrative,creatingcontextforablindpersonwhoisviewingtheimageforthefirsttime.TheMuseumoffersenhancedaccessibilityforpeoplewithvisionlossthroughitsmobileapp,whichcanbedownloadedforfreefromtheAppStoreorGooglePlay(simplysearch“CanadianMuseumforHumanRights”).
Exhibit text and images of the photography flow into themobile appwhen visitors approach variousUniversalAccessPoints(UAPs)locatedthroughoutthegallery.Theinformationcanalsobeaccessedbykeyinginthe3-digitUAPnumber,whichisdisplayedbothinraisedfiguresandinbraille.Canestopsontheflooralertblindvisitorstothelocationofdifferentexhibitelements.
TheCanadianMuseumforHumanRightsoffersawideeducationprogrammeincludingthetechniquesusedbytheartistsoftheSightUnseenexhibition:
• Creative touch:participantsareencouragetousebrailleandfingerstoexpressthemselvesbycreatingaraised-inkdrawingusingspecialpaperandpensThen,Museumstaffwillheattheartworksinamachinetocreatethetactileeffect.
• The#VoiceOverPhotoproject:expressingcreativitybyusinganiOSaccessibilitytoolcalledVoiceOver,designed for people with vision loss .
• Lectures and workshops with blind or visually impaired photographers
24
Resource
Detroit Institute of Arts
Audience
Blind
Contact
Description
TheDetroit InstituteofArts(DIA),oneofthepremierartmuseumsintheUnitedStates,ishometomorethan60,000worksthatcompriseamulticulturalsurveyofhuman creativity from ancient times through the 21st century .
USA. Instituto de Artes. Detroit
25
TheDIArecentlylaunchedanart-makingprogramforstudents in Detroit Public Schools and Lincoln Park Public Schools who are blind or visually impaired (BVI), in collaboration with University of Michigan(UM).Duringfiveweeklyvisits,museumstafftrained15UMartstudentsinhowtoworkwithBVIstudentsin an art-making experience. University studentsprovide individual assistance to BVI students during four weekly art-making sessions, led by artist andUMartinstructorSadashiInuzukaandDIAteachingartists. At the end of the project, theBVI students’artwill bedisplayed in themuseum’sWalterGibbsLearning Center .
ThisprototypeprogramisbuiltonInuzuka’swork,whoisworkingwiththeDIAtoestablishaninternationalmodelforprovidinglearningopportunitiesforblindorvisuallyimpairedyouthwhilebuildingunderstanding,friendshipandawarenessbetweenallkindsoflearners.Visuallyimpairedhimself—Inuzukahasretinoschisis,whichkeepshimfromdrivingandmakesitdifficulttoread,Inuzukastartedtheprogramfollowingaseriesof presentations and workshops .
JenniferCzajkowski,executivedirectorofLearning&Interpretation(L&I)attheDIA,seespositiveoutcomesforallinvolved.“Studentswhoareblindorvisuallyimpairedengageincreativeexpressioninaninspirationalsetting,learningfromartstudentsandteachingartists,”“UMstudentsgainexperienceanddevelopskillsworkingwithdifferentkindsoflearners,coachedbySadashiandDIAstaff.”
TheDIA’sL&Idepartmentdevelopsandmanages thisandotherprogramswhereviewing,discussing,andart-makingstimulatethinkingandpromotepersonalconnectionswithart,nomatterwhatcognitiveorphysicalabilitiesanindividualbringstotheexperience.Attheheartoftheseprogramsarethebeliefsthatartisaninherentlyinterestingsubjectthatprovidesexcellentopportunitiesformentalstimulation,andthatartservesavitalroleinhelpingallindividualsexploreandexpresstheirhumanity.
USA
26
Resource
DIALOGUEINTHEDARK,Hamburg
Audience
Blind or visually impaired
Contact
Description
TheconceptofDialogueintheDarkissimple:visitors are lead by blind guides in small groups through specially designed darkened rooms.Scent,sounds,wind,temperatureandtexturesconveythecharacteristicsofdailyenvironments–forexampleapark,acity,aboatcruiseorabar.Areversalofrolesiscreated:peoplewhocanusuallyseeareconfrontedwiththesuddenwithdrawaloftheirkey-sensesightandaretakenoutoftheirfamiliarenvironment.Blindpeoplearetheexpertsoutoftheirlivingcircumstances,andprovidethepublic with security and a sense of orientation by transmitting to them a world without pictures .
Theconcepthasprovedquiteeffective.Sincemorethan25yearsDialogueintheDarkhasbeenpresentedin39countriesthroughoutEurope,theAmericas,AfricaandAsia.Millionsofvisitorshavebeenledthroughtheexhibitionbythousandsofblindindividuals,andlearnedtoseeinthedarkness.
Germany. Diálogo en la Oscuridad. Hamburgo
27
Germany
Scenario
Atourintheexhibitionlastsfor1to1,5hourandhappensincompletedarkness.Inthebeginningit’sashocktoacceptthetotalabsenceofanyvisualinformation,butbitbybithumannatureisabletoadaptand can cope with the unusual circumstance .
Mostimportantlyaretwohelpers:Firstly,awhitecaneisdeliveredbeforethejourneystarts.Thiseverydayaidofblindpeoplehelpstofindorientationinthedark,andprotectseveryonewhilemovingaroundbyidentifyingobstaclesofallkind.Secondly,nooneisleftaloneinthedark.Alltoursareorganizedingroupsofuptoeightpeople,andleadbyanexperiencedandspeciallytrainedblindguide.S/heknowsexactlyhow to supervise the group . Comfort and safety are guaranteed and as the most competent ambassador blind individuals convey a culture without images .
Thevisitorsexploretheunseen,andlearntoseeindarkness.Communicationbridgesthegaps,andwithphysicalsupportasholdinghandsandmostimportantlytrust,allpeopleappreciatethetourinthedark.Thetourguidetakesthegroupthroughfaithfullyrecreatedenvironmentsasapark,acity,helpstoembarkarideonaboatoroffersadrinkorasnackinthebar.Aninvisiblelandscapeemerges,composedoutofsounds,scents,wind,texturesandtemperaturesandarisesinnerpicturesinthepeople’smind.
Guides
AllexhibitionguidesattheglobalDialogueintheDarkhubsareblindorvisuallyimpairedpeople.Theyleadvisitors through theexhibitionsprovidingan imaginative,educationalandentertainingexperience.Progressingfrominitialdisorientationtothejoyofperceivingtheworldthroughtheothersenses,blindguidesenablevisitorstofeelcomfortableandsafeduringtheexhibitiontour.
28
Resource
MuseodelPrado,Madrid
Audience
Blind or visually impaired
Contact
Description
In2015theMuseodelPradolauncheditsfirstinitiativefocusedonvisuallyimpairedvisitorsandbasedoninnovationandtechnology.Asaresultofthisproject,sixworksrepresentativeofdifferentpictorialgenrestobefoundintheMuseum’scollectionscannowbetouched.ThePrado’s initiative isuniquesince itapplies3Dprintingtechniquestoreproductionsofpainted—i.e.flat—work.Theexhibition“TouchingthePrado”isoneofthemostsophisticatedyetineffortstounlockthe beauty of the visual arts for those unable to see them .
Developed incollaborationwithprofessionals in thesectorofvisual impairment, thisprojectallowsforthe reality of the painting to be perceived in order to mentally recreate it as a whole and thus provide anemotionalperceptionofthework.Non-sightedvisitorswillbeabletoobtainaheighteneddegreeofartistic-aesthetic-creativeenjoymentinordertoexplain,discussandanalyzetheseworksinthePrado.
Spain. Museo del Prado. Madrid
29
Spain
TheMuseumhaschosenalimitedselectionofpainting(i.e.Nolimetangere,deCorreggio;LaGioconda,LeonardodaVinci;LafraguadeVulcano,Velázquez;andElcaballerodelamanoenelpecho,delGreco,amongothers)duetotheiraccessibilityintermsofsizeanddetails.Theidealsizetousethis3Dtechniqueis1,80×1,20,sopaintings can be easily touched with the hand .
The paintings are photographed and 3D printed using the Didútechniquetocreatealmostatextualguidetotheoriginalpaintings.Didú isa techniquedevelopedbyaBilbao,Spain-baseddesignagency,whichdescribesthetechniqueontheirwebsiteas“reliefprintingwhichallowsustogetclosertoartinadifferentway”byaddingvolumeandtexturetowhatisusuallyaflatrepresentation.Certainaspectsofeachpainting,includingtextures,wereselectedfor showcasing in the 3D reproductions . A chemical process involving ultraviolet light and special ink resulted in a few millimeters ofaddedvolume.Thereproductionsretainedtheoriginals’color,for visually impaired visitors with the ability to perceive it .
Ittakesabout40hourstoachievethedetailedeffectsofvolumeandtextureinahighresolutionphotographofanoriginalartwork.Aftertheprinting,ittakesanother12hourstoapplyachemicalthatbringsvolumetootherwiseflatsurfaces.Theoutcomeisanoriginalinterpretationoftheoriginal—atactileimage—thatcanbringoutentirelydifferentdimensionsinartthatallcanenjoy.Insteadofhavingthepaintings’detailsdescribed,nowtheycanalsobefelt—offeringadifferentsensoryexperiencetogreatworksofart.Infact,bytouchingone’swaythroughanartwork,thesight-impairedcancreateamentalmapoftheentirepiece,andpotentiallydevelopamoreemotionalresponsetotheexperienceaswell.
30
CONCLUSIONS
Technologyhasprovidednewsolutions toaccessmuseums,galleriesandheritagesites forblindandpartiallysightedvisitors.AppsandthelatestICTsolutionshavedramaticallychangedthewaytoenhanceengagement with the arts of blind or visually impaired people .
Tactilepanels,enlargedprints,Brailleandvisualdescriptionshavegivenwaytonewmeasuresofbringingcultural resources to these groups. At present, themainmuseums and cultural heritagemanagemententitiesareopeningnewformsofaccesstoart,including:
• 3Dprintingtechniquestoreproductionsofpainted—i.e.flat—work . Developed in collaboration with professionalsinthesectorofvisualimpairment,thisinitiativeallowsfortherealityofthepaintingtobe perceived in order to mentally recreate it as a whole and thus provide an emotional perception of thework.Non-sightedvisitorsareabletoobtainaheighteneddegreeofartistic-aesthetic-creativeenjoymentinordertoexplain,discussandanalyzepiecesofart.
• Onlinetools,incorporatingtext,audio,imageenhancementanddeconstruction,animationandraisedimages.Thistoolshelptounderstandtheworkasawhole.Anintegralaspectofsomeavailabletools,isthecreationofraiseddrawings.Usedinconjunctionwiththetextonlyfunctiononthewebsite,thedrawings bring to life the visual elements of paintings .
• Soft technology devices,likeDiscoveryPen,anaudiolabellingdevicethatbringsdigitaltotraditionalprinttechnologies.Usinglithoprintedpaperorboard,minisculedotpatternsareaddedtotheartwork.Thedevicehasascanneratits‘nib’whichdetectsthepattern,therebytriggeringasignaltoplayapre-recordedMP3file.
31
CONCLUSIONS
• Multisensoryitinerariestoexploreartisticworksbyallowingthemtotouchthermoformedpanelsandscalereproductionbas-reliefs,equippedwhichBraillelegendsandblackprintdescriptions.Duringthetour,thevisitors’ideaoftheworkofartisstimulatedthroughothersenses,soastofacilitatethere-elaborationoftheartisticmessage.Multidisciplinarydidacticcommunicationsystemsareused,such as literary and musical stimuli as well as multisensory systems using analytic and synesthetic references .
32
RECOMMENDATIONS
• Welltrainedstaffisoneofthekeyissuestosmoothaccesstoculturalheritage(i.e.regulartrainingsessions for teammembers and staff to complete a customised e-learning course on disabilityawareness).Traininghelpstafftoknowhowtoassistvisitorswithspecialeducationalneeds.
• Involvingblindstaffandcreatingareversalofroles:peoplewhocanusuallyseeareconfrontedwiththesuddenwithdrawaloftheirkey-sensesightandaretakenoutoftheirfamiliarenvironment.Blindpeoplearetheexpertsoutoftheirlivingcircumstances,andprovidethepublicwithsecurityandasense of orientation by transmitting to them a world without pictures .
• Collectiveness:Cooperationwithprofessionalsinthesectorofvisualimpairmentiscriticaltoprovidefeedback and test the solutions proposed. Continuous and effective consultationwith blind andpartially sighted visitors and their representative organisations is highly recommended when taking practical measures to ensure accessibility of cultural activities .
• Educationalprogrammesbothforgeneralpublicandnon-sightedvisitorscanincreaseawarenessandpublicengagement.Art-makingprogramforstudentswhoareblindorvisuallyimpaired,allowsthemtoexploreavarietyofmaterials,texturesandcolors,anddevelopfinemotorskills.
• Communication:Redesigningthewebsitetomakeitanimmersiveexperienceonparwithattendingthemuseuminperson,optimizedforpeoplewithlowvisionwhousescreenreaders.
• Socialclauses:Torequirefromtendersforpublicprocurementofservicesthattheydemonstratetheirexperienceandunderstandingof inclusivedesign(alsoknownasDesignforAll) forpeoplewithadisabilityandspecificallyvisuallyimpairedpeople.
33
Edita:
AyuntamientodeAvilés.FundaciónMunicipaldeCultura.(Spain)
EmpresapúblicadegestióndecementeriosdeMaribor.(Eslovenia)
AyuntamientodeGenova.DepartamentodeCultura.(Italia)
CentroeducativodeDundeeyAngus.(Escocia-R.U.)
MancomunidadedemunicipiosdeNebbiu.enCórcega.(France)
InstitutodeTecnologíadeLimerick.(Irlanda)
Colabora:
AsociaciónEuropeadeCementeriosSignificados(ASCE)
