Of the senses, sight is the most important in visual arts. But a new project asks: what if touch, smell and sound were the focus of engagement with art – and sight was removed altogether.
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In Canberra, the local Blind Society and Tuggeranong Arts Centre have collaborated to explore this notion through the art installation Touch.
It is the work of lead artist Tony Steel, who worked with vision-impaired artists Leonie Pye, Sarah Ferguson, Emma Lea Sheather, Meredith Pettit, Lien To and Emelita Kerezepa. The result gives an insight into a world without the sense of sight – completely testing your senses.
Before you enter, staff brief you about what to expect. To get around, you remove your shoes and use your feet to guide you using a rope taped to the floor.
You’re also given a blindfold to wear. While the exhibition is almost in complete darkness, the glow of the exit sign casts some light so the blindfold ensures you get the full experience. But even if you take your blindfold off while you’re inside, don’t expect to see much.
Once inside, it’s just you and the rope under your feet. If you feel uncomfortable, you can also be guided through by the staff but you’re still encouraged to explore yourself .
The exhibition is scattered with different artworks – some on the floor, some on podiums, some mounted on the wall and some hanging. When you reach each piece, a marker on the floor indicates when to stick out your hands and feel around.
Each one is made using everyday items, with some even incorporating sound and smell. Using your hands as your eyes, you’re encouraged to touch each work as much as you want, to build a picture in your mind of what’s there.
Not being able to see anything, your world all of a sudden becomes very small – it’s almost claustrophobic. With one of your senses taken away, the others become heightened. You can hear every tiny thing that’s happening around you but you can’t necessarily tell where it’s coming from or how far away it is.
You find yourself shuffling along, cautiously waving your hands around in front of you, not entirely sure what they’ll connect with next.
Your mind also goes into overdrive. I spent a large amount of the time in the installation expecting to stick my hands into a barrel of tarantulas.
While a piece of wool can feel quite luxurious when you can see what you’re touching, it can be utterly terrifying when you cannot.
While nerve-wracking and a bit frightening at times, it was also incredibly enlightening.
Touch gives a thorough insight into what visually impaired people experience on a daily basis – in a world filled with strange noises, smells, sounds and textures.
The exhibition is certainly eye-opening – even when opening your eyes only means staring into the back of a blindfold.
Touch is on at Canberra Theatre from July 2-12.
