“Controsenso, But Not Too Much: Digital Artifacts to Ease Communication and Exchange with Seeing-Impaired People”
Conference:
Type:
Title:
- Controsenso, But Not Too Much: Digital Artifacts to Ease Communication and Exchange with Seeing-Impaired People
Abstract:
Controsenso means contradiction or counter-sense and alludes to the idea, only apparently strange, to have a blind person as your guide through their home town. Controsenso: Genoa as you have never seen it, is a virtual tour of the city of Genoa to reveal in poetry the everyday life experience of seeing-impaired people. The choice is story telling through sound and images of what blind people see and perceive of their city. It conveys strong feelings in terms of noises, smells, lights and shadows, and pavement and walls textures. These represent known objects, places, people and shops: the thousands of details that go unseen at a conscious level for most of us.
References:
DIALOGO NEL BUIO ®. Museo d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea di Rovereto, Dec 03 – March 04. Also Palazzo Reale di Milano Oct 02 –Feb 03 www.dialogonelbuio.it www.dialogue-in-the-dark.com
GENOVA 2004. http://www.genova-2004.it/
Acknowledgements:
Controsenso was initially developed as a project for a Laboratory course, taught by M.A. Alberti, A. Brogi and P. Trapani in 2002/03 at the Politecnico di Milano in a five-year program in Industrial Design. We would like to acknowledge S. Mantero and C. Mungini for their illuminating interviews that enabled us to see Genoa with their love. Video recording has been possible through the participation of many people from Genoa. In particular we thank L’almanacco, Il Caffè degli Specchi and the shop L’arte del ferro.
