Experiencing the Road to Parán

Earlier this year, blind artist Tony and his collaborator Lincoln undertook an extraordinary journey across Peru to gather materials for an inclusive audio-visual and tactile exhibition. The AT Chat team were excited to attend a tactile presentation about their journey, to learn more about the people they met, the places they visited and the AT that helped them to gather the sights and sounds of their adventure.

Their journey started with a National Geographic article about the village of Parán, in the foothills of the Andes, where 16% of the population are blind. Tony and Lincoln then decided to make their way to Parán, and record each step of their journey, while also sharing tactile 2.5D photographic prints with those they met along the way.

As Tony and Lincoln spoke to the audience gathered for the presentation, they described the photos that lined the walls, and the collaborative process that went into development of the 2.5D photographic prints that were also set up around us. On one stand were headsets that played a soundscape developed for one of the prints, showing an older woman with a colourful, flower-festooned hat, and describing the textures and sounds in the background when the photo was taken. As we learnt more about AT such as the prints, the soundscape and the language the friends created to communicate as they worked, we could see what was possible through collaborative approaches to creation, that doesn’t ignore disability, but instead explores it’s possibilities.

The next step for this intrepid duo is to launch their full exhibition, featuring multiple 2.5D photographic prints and associated soundscapes, in an accessible and inclusive environment. If you’d like to follow their journey, check them out on Instagram.