Multisensory Technologies for Inclusive Exhibition Spaces: Disability Access Meets Artistic and Curatorial Research

Abstract

This article discusses applications of technology for sensory-disabled audiences in modern and contemporary art exhibitions. One case study of experimental artistic and curatorial research by The OtherAbilities art collective is discussed: a series of prototype tools for sensory translation from audible sound to vibration were developed to be embeddable in the architecture of spaces where art is presented. In the article, the case study is approached from a curatorial perspective. Based on bibliographical sources, the article starts with a brief historical reference to disability art activism and a presentation of contemporary accessibility solutions for sensory-disabled audiences in museums. The research for the case study was conducted during testing and feedback sessions on the prototypes using open-ended oral interviews, open-ended written comments, and ethnographic observation of visitors’ behavior during exhibitions. The testers were d/Deaf, hard of hearing and hearing. The results focus on the reception of the sensory translation of audible sound to vibration by test users of diverse hearing abilities and on the reception of the prototypes in the context of art and design exhibitions. The article closes with a reflection on how disability scholarship meets art curatorial theory in the example of the article’s case study.