Tangible Access to Art and Knowledge

ArteConTacto's mission is to provide access to art and knowledge for all, including the visually impaired. We adapt permanent and temporary exhibitions, combining affordable, state-of-the-art technology with first-hand curatorial knowledge and educational expertise. This way, we can ensure flexible, cost-efficient and creative solutions that allow the visitor free and independent access to museums and art centers.

Contact: Moritz Neumüller, Christina Hemetsberger, Elsa Esparbé i Gener
Barcelona: 0034 605 64 1118
Vienna: 0043 660 344 77 55
Email: touch(at)artecontacto.org

 

The Methodology of ArteConTacto consists of two parts:
Firstly, regular guided tours of approx. one hour and a maximum of 10 participants.
Works can be touched, either the original, or a 2-dimensional diagram, or in a 3-D representation of the object. Guided by an art historian and at least one social worker, according to group size (have a look at this Video).

Second, a set of materials that allows the blind visitors to explore the exhibition by
themselves, or in the company of friends and family, however, and whenever they want. The materials are developed in close collaboration with associations for the blind, and a school for the education of the visually impaired.

Besides Braille wall tags for the selected works and a navigation system through the galleries, a specially designed kit helps the visitor to explore, perceive and understand the exhibition.

The audio guide has been developed in DAISY, a special format for audible books
for the blind. It works with prerecorded "real" voices, which are then assembled by
the computer into MP3 files, from a word document and within seconds. The
complete audio book can be downloaded on the museum website and installed on
the visitor's own Daisy player.
For those who do not bring their own player, we use an iPod Shuffle to reproduce
the MP3s. This player works without a display and can be navigated easily.
Each work of art is described in three parts:

1. Author, title, year and technique;

2. Formal description;

3. Interpretation and artist details.

The forth file is a description of how to get to the next work.

A special tape that has a very rough surface provides the navigation system in
the galleries. The way through the exhibition corresponds to a tactile map. Last minute changes to the installation can be integrated into the navigation system and the tactile plan.

For more information, please get in touch(at)artecontacto.org.

 

Material Collection and Links:

1. ArteConTacto Materials:

Download Report on implementation at MUSA (Museum on Demand), Vienna.
Download DAISY Book of the MUSA program (in German).

 

2. Other Materials:

A INCLUSÃO PELA ARTE: MUSEUS E PÚBLICOS COM DEFICIÊNCIA VISUAL
Master Thesis by Patrícia Roque Martins (in Portuguese). Download PDF.

Picture books accessible to blind and visually impaired children
Document by Beatrice Christensen Sköld (in English). Download PDF.

How to make tactile pictures understandable to the blind reader, by Yvonne Eriksson. Download PDF.

 

3. Useful Links:

Services

Klango Network, a social network for the visually impaired.

RoboBraille, an e-mail service which can convert digital text documents into either Braille or audio files.

Artists With Disability

http://www.parthobhowmick.com/
Partho Bhowmick

Blind With Camera - Photographs by the Visually Impaired

http://www.zonezero.com/exposiciones/fotografos/bavcar/
Evgen Bavcar - Blind Photographer

http://www.the-arthouse.org.uk/
The Art House - UK

Disability Arts Organization

http://artsaccess.com.au/
Arts Access Victoria – Australia

http://www.fundacaoliga.com
Casa das Artes da Fundação Liga - Portugal

http://www.vsarts.org/
The International Organizations on Arts and Disability - USA

http://www.disabilityartsonline.org.uk/
Disability Arts Online – UK

http://www.capacitarte.com/
Capacitart Arte y Discapacidad - Spain

http://nadc.ucla.edu/
National Arts and Disability Center – USA

http://www.ebility.com/links/arts.php
Arts and Disability Directory and Information

http://www.artsanddisability.com/
Arts and Disability Directory and Information for Ireland

Museums Accessibilities

http://www.museoreinasofia.es/visita/accesibilidad.html
Museu Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia - Spain

http://www.educathyssen.org/accesibilidad
Museum Thyssen Bornemisza- Spain

http://www.tate.org.uk/imap/
Tate: British and international modern and contemporary art - UK

http://www.philamuseum.org/visit/56-7.html#AccessiblePrograms
Philadelphia Museum of Art – USA

http://tours.daytonartinstitute.org/accessart/
The Dayton Art Institute - USA

http://www.moma.org/learn/disabilities/sight
The Museum of Modern Art - USA

Disability Studies

http://disabilitystudies.ca/
Canadian Centre on Disability Studies – Canada

http://www.once.es/home.cfm?id=351
Revista “INTEGRACIÓN” – Once – Spain

http://www.leeds.ac.uk/disability-studies/
Centre for Disability Studies – University of Leeds - UK

http://www.lancs.ac.uk/cedr/
Centre for Disability Research – Lancaster University – UK

http://www.le.ac.uk/ms/research/research.html
School of Museum Studies – University of Leicester - UK