Welcome. The Blind at the Museum exhibition
and conference provided a reframing of blindness and what it means to
view a work of art; it proposes a rethinking of access, disability, and
the museum. The very notion of the blind visual artist can alter our
expectations of the museum and the role of the viewer. Prompted by disability
rights legislation, museums around the world have undertaken to make
their exhibitions more accessible, but this access tends to relegate
blind patrons to “special” programming and collections. Often,
concerns about access address the physical environment and design—large
font size, ramps—rather than diversifying perceptual and intellectual
access to artwork. If technologies of vision (such as lenses) change
our experiences and if peripheral vision, blind spots, or floaters influence
our notions of looking, how might alternative perspectives and technologies
invite us to adopt new behaviors and approaches? As part of a larger
movement of institutional critique, Blind at the Museum prompts
us to reconsider the practice of looking within the museum, and to imagine
new ways of seeing and knowing for all viewers.
While the exhibition and conference are over, this website offers an
opportunity to keep exploring what it means to see. Enjoy. |
