Project Description

 

 

Title:                                       Exhibition of paintings for the blind

 

Actualization date:             October 16^th, 2009

 

Names of the exhibition:   “Beyond the touchable”, “Contact”, “Beyond the visible”.

 

Artist:                                     Jorge Restrepo, Cali, Colombia, 1961

 

Exhibitions:

 

• “Touching feelings” – Casa de la Cultura de Tijuana, Mexico, December, 2009 (Schedule exhibit)
• “Art trough the senses”, Franz Mayer Museum. Asociación Ojos que Sienten, A.C. and Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria (BBVA) - BANCOMER. Mexico DF, July 10 to October 14, 2009
• “Beyond the touchable”, Sala Aires, Aires Cultural Association of Cordoba, Junta de Andalucía, National Association of Spanish Blind People, O.N.C.E. and Handicap International. Córdoba, Spain, 6^th to 22^nd November, 2006.
• “Contact”, Museum-house of the writer Don Juan de Vargas. 34^th International Festival of Culture, Handicap International. Tunja, Boyacá, Colombia, 9^th to 18^th November, 2006.
• “Contact” – The French Colombian Aliance, French Embassy in Colombia, Handicap International, Colombian Association of parents of children with disabilities, A.C.P.H.E.S., Carlos José Ramón Fundation My left foot, during the 1^st National Festival of disable art, Bucaramanga, Colombia, 3^rd to 12^th October, 2006.
• “Contact”. Room of the French Alliance. Vicepresident of The Republic of Colombia, French Alliance, National Institute for the blind, I.N.C.I. and Handicap International.  Santafé de Bogotá, Colombia, 3^rd to 31^st August, 2006
• “Contact”. Galeria L´Etoile French Alliance, Handicap International, Centre of Museums of Caldas University, Visually Impaired Association, A.L.F.A., Manizales, Colombia. 6^th a 22^nd July, 2006.
• “Beyond the visible”. Handicap International, French Alliance, Nicaraguan Blind People’s association, The Polus Center, León, Nicaragua. May to June, 2006.
• “Contact” , Sala Patrimonial Carlos Mejía Mesa, University Museum. Antioquia University, Library Systems, Blind people without limits Association A.T.R.I.L. and Handicap International. Medellín, Colombia.  3^rd to 31^st May, 2006.
• “Contact”, Comfandi Cultural Centre, Cali, Colombia. March 21^st to April 22^nd, 2006.
• “Beyond the touchable”. French Alliance, Handicap International.  Managua, Nicaragua. 24^th February to 5^th March, 2006.
• “Beyond the touchable”. An Exhibition of paintings dedicated to the sightless. French Alliance Tegucigalpa, Handicap International, National Union of Honduran Blind People and the French Embassy. 28^th July to 4^th August, 2005, Tegucigalpa, Honduras.

 

 

 

 

 

Background

 

When Jorge Restrepo was writing some regulations for an art collection he was working on, and wrote one that explained that the art works could not be touched, he thought: and what about the blind, how do they relate to paintings? Then he did a literature review, searching for information on art for the blind. During this process he found information about institutions that are trying to get art close to blind people, with different programs ranging from workshops for them to make art, to projects that aim to facilitate access for blind people to museums and galleries. These programs are usually based on opportunities to touch sculptures and detailed descriptions of pieces, to provide an understanding to blind people. Also reproductions have been made of famous art works, which can be touched and the use of signboards written in Braille placed in exhibitions.

 

In addition, information was found about the isolated efforts of collective exhibitions for blind people, where an organisation has integrated a group of artists to make three-dimensional works to show as an exhibition. He did not find information about any artist that had focused their efforts on the recovery of the tactile sense in art works, nor focused most of their artistic career on this subject.

 

Exhibition description

 

It is an exhibition of Jorge Restrepo’s paintings, dedicated to blind people. The show includes the participation of blind and sighted people, with their interaction at the opening moment, a fundamental part of the sensorial exercise.

 

Currently, there are two collections that are owned by Handicap International, and these are offered for display in countries where there is an interest in having this exhibition.

 

Exhibition objectives

 

·      To provide an opportunity to blind people to participate in an exhibition of paintings dedicated to them.

• To remind society in general about the existence of blind people by doing this exhibition, this worked in practice by generating public awareness on the radio, newspapers and television.
• From the plastic art view point, the artist produced abstract (with some collage resources) paintings for blind people.

·         To generate an impact on the sighted people visiting the exhibition, so they get enriched as human beings.

• To get the attention of sighted people about the tactile sense, and confront the concept of “visual arts”, with a tactile orientated plastic art experience.

 

 

 

 

 

Methodology

 

Installation instructions

 

• The room where the exhibition will be held must be totally white.

·     There must be no obstacles; the paintings are only hung from the walls, every object that could be visual or physically uncomfortable for the people’s movement should be removed.

• All the signs with the names of the paintings and the general information about the exhibition will be written in Braille. There is no information written in ink.
• The exhibitions title and some interior banners on the walls will be made in giant Braille.
• The paintings should be installed to a height of 1.25 m from the floor, or to the choice of the room’s curator.

 

The exhibitions first moment of impact occurs with the arrival of the visitors, when they find a completely white room, where all the exhibit’s pieces are white as well and the information is written in Braille on a white material. The room itself is a great installation…

 

Support from a blind people’s organization

 

For the accomplishment of this exhibition it will be necessary to have the support from a blind people’s organization, which will be involved in the planning process and to lead the opening. If an association of blind people does not exist, a group needs to be formed. An Introduction to blind guides is part of the exhibit. The following is a description of the recommended process to hold the exhibition:

 

Preparing the invitations

 

Make ink invitations (printed) as well as digital and Braille invitations. The ink ones are sent to the main city authorities and to people interested in art. The digital invitations are sent to people interested in art around the city and also are used to be distributed on a data base that includes people and institutions in different countries. The Braille invitations, made in some cases on the same printed version, are sent to the blind people’s organizations and to some special guests.

 

Also posters can be prepared to be shown in strategic places around the city, such as universities and other culture related areas. In the posters it is recommended to put a photograph that causes impact, pictures of blind people interacting with blindfolded people have been used.

 

Orientation of the exhibition guides

 

The exhibition guides, all blind, must receive a prior orientation to the exhibition. It should be completed in two hours. During the orientation, so far done by the artist himself, but which could be done by others, they will get an introduction about contemporary art tendencies: what is “happening”, the installation, the conceptual art. It is also important to talk about modern art, the abstraction. A route around the paintings is made, to explain the parts of the project description, and the most important thing, they are encouraged to freely express themselves about what they think when they correlate the painting’s name with what they can touch. Next they are encouraged to guide blindfolded people during the opening, and to share sensations and what participating in this experience means to them.

 

To guarantee attendance

 

The exhibition should involve blind people’s organizations and its leaders in particular, who guarantee the attendance of blind people, who play a fundamental role in the event. It is sometimes required to organize transport for the blind that do not always have it.

 

Opening of the event

 

At the entrance of the room, a table with information for the visitors can be installed. In this one it is recommended to give away a guide of how to behave with blind people (in Honduras the handicapped anthem was distributed). If pamphlets of the exhibition are made, these can be put on the same table.

 

The event must be inaugurated with short speeches by the representative of the sponsor’s organizations.

 

Once the speeches are concluded, a short musical act should follow, specifically made by blind people (a singer, or instrumental). This will generate high emotion with the public.

 

When finishing the musical interlude, the visitors are invited to go through the exhibition. Depending on the size of the place, if possible, doing the opening in a different space from the exhibition will create a bigger impact on the visitors, because many of them will enter the room blindfolded and will go across it without having seen it beforehand…A black bandage will be given to sighted visitors as part of the experience, so that they can experience being blindfolded in the room, with the public. The blind people must guide in a spontaneous way, those who are blindfolded, and other people who are not. This is when the most striking moment is generated during the exhibition, consisting of the blind and sighted people’s interactions. Frequently it is possible to see blind people guiding a sighted person’s hand, and sharing with this person the feelings related to what they are touching. 

 

The pieces

 

The collection that is in Colombia at this moment is made up of 24 pieces of acrylic and collage on fabric, framed in white thin frame. The pieces measurements are 19” x 26” (48.3 x 66 cm). The pieces are packed for transfer in two boxes of equal size.

 

Analysis of the Project (appendix)

 

“Art for the Visually Impaired by Jorge Restrepo - A juncture between the tangible and the intangible” by Donaldo Altamirano, Nicaraguan writer, teacher of philosophy, literature and visual arts. October, 2005.

 

 
    

                    

             

 

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