The “Tactile Tour” exhibition, dedicated to individuals who are blind or visually impaired, was inaugurated on Monday afternoon by the Braille League in Brussels. Starting Tuesday and running until 4 July, around 12 3D-modelled reproductions of artworks will be available for tactile exploration.
Featured in these reproductions are works like “The Return of Diana the Huntress” by François Boucher, “Mercury and Argus” by Jacob Jordaens, and “Self-Portrait” by Vincent Van Gogh.
The Braille League, hosting the free event at its headquarters in the Brussels district of Saint-Gilles, encapsulates the experience as “exploring art with fingertips.” Thanks to 3D printing, every detail—shadow, texture, drapery—is “faithfully reproduced,” the organisation explains. Combined with tailored audio descriptions, this initiative aims to provide blind and visually impaired individuals a new way to appreciate masterpieces.
The exhibition was initiated by Belgian Rémy Closset, a visually impaired retired architect and art enthusiast, who is also an administrator at the French organisation Valentin Haüy, which advocates for the employment of blind and visually impaired people.
At the opening event, a tactile reproduction of René Magritte’s painting “The Domain of Arnheim” was donated to the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium, with whom the Braille League has partnered for over 20 years to offer inclusive visits for blind and visually impaired individuals.
Two events will complement the exhibition: a live music “afterwork” on Thursday and creative family workshops to learn about braille on Saturday.
