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Put the sight aside: From the supremacy of visuality to holism of the senses in the experience of art
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School of Arts, Design and Architecture |
Master's thesis
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en
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68
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The aim of my research is to investigate possible ways to implement inclusivity in art museums and art galleries for a visually impaired and blind audience. The research was conducted combining theory and site visits between Italy and Finland. The first part of the thesis provides an analysis of the phenomenon of “ocularcentrism” which is a societal circumstance historically rooted at a deep level. Ocularcentric behavior produces forms of passive exclusion that many of us are unaware of. Historical, philosophical and artistic examples are provided to confirm the importance of overcoming the ocularcentric tendencies of our societies in favor of a diversified usage of our senses as a holistic system, or what might be called a sensorium. This is especially the case when it comes to our experience of art. The second part of this research, provides a general overview of the most common sight diseases in order to explain how the world looks like to the visually impaired and blind. The third part of the research investigates what already exists in terms of attempts at sensorial inclusivity in museums and art galleries. We go through a detailed description of inclusivity tools such as tactile diagrams, verbal and audio descriptions, and consider how they function. In addition to the most common tools, the thesis looks at new technologies such as 3D printing and virtual reality and the possibilities they open up in terms of widening sensorial engagement for the visually impaired. The final chapter presents an experimental workshop developed in collaboration with collogues at Aalto University in 2019 at the EMMA museum in Espoo. As a learning experience the workshop resulted in some positive and some negatives aspects that indicate some considerations for future improvements with the field of sensorially inclusive exhibiting.