An Eye-Opening Exhibition

Thursday afternoon's activity was a visit to Prague's Invisible Exhibition. If, somehow, students hadn't stepped out of their comfort zones before, they certainly did here! 

For an hour, visitors to the exhibition experience complete darkness as they use other senses to explore seven different rooms. The aim of the exhibition is to give visitors a taste of what it would be like to be blind. In fact, the hour-long tours are led by those who are blind or partially sighted. In the pitch-black, it certainly felt like the guides knew something we didn't, or that they somehow could see in the dark. They could identify exactly where a visitor's hands were, knew exactly when to tell us to watch our footing, and navigated the dark with complete confidence, as they rely on their other four senses in everyday life. 

As we fumbled through various different locations - a foyer, a kitchen, a bathroom, a market, an art gallery, a bar, and a cottage - we were asked to use our remaining senses to identify objects and our whereabouts. We analyzed sculptures using only touch and found Atlas, Bambi, and other familiar forms. We picked out different fruits and vegetables at the market based on smell. We avoided a car, crossed an uneven bridge, ordered sodas and ice creams, and paid using the texture of each Czech coin to guide us. While some of us felt disoriented or anxious to start, the tour guides were confident and calm and led us through the experience smoothly. 

Since students had to break off into smaller groups for the tour, there was some waiting time out in an interactive area where visitors could try various tasks blindfolded. Students logged onto computers, built Lego structures, played checkers and completed puzzles. The information on the wall was enlightening and brought to life the history of Braille, the reality of visually impaired individuals around the world, and the lives of various blind celebrities. 

Not only was the experience enjoyable and perfect for bringing the group closer together, but it was also eye-opening in that many of us had never had to confront our privilege as sighted people before. It got us discussing accessibility, awareness (and art's role in it), and ways our society could improve upon both.