The Story: I recently went to Hamburg to see John Numeier’s wonderful ballet. The next day I had some time left before my flight back to Paris, and luck had it that my Google search came up with a marvellous exhibition called ‘Dialog Im Dunkeln’, Dialog in the Dark…
The Idea : Brilliant and simple – In completely darkened rooms blind people lead small groups of visitors through an exhibition in which everyday situations are experienced altogether differently, without eyesight.
In complete dark (even phosphorescent watches aren’t allowed), daily routine becomes a new experience. For 90′, the tables are turned: sighted people are plunged into a completely alien world, and it is the blind guides who reassure them and lend them their sense of orientation. At first I was opening my eyes so wide just to try and perceive some light, some visual, anything. It was a truly edifying experience. After twenty minutes or so my other senses started to heighten and I relaxed into acceptance that I couldn’t see anything. My group of ten people all had canes to help us not bash into eachother and the guide was amazing in his capacity to a) remember everyone’s name based only on voice and b) locate us with quasi paranormal precision.
The exhibit’s mission goes beyond pedagogy however, having created close to 6000 steady jobs for blind people in the Dialogue exhibitions; in Hamburg there are 40 blind employees, working as guides, trainers or in other roles.
It’s an absolute must-do for the price of a movie and a Coke, and an experience that will stay with you for years.
The Com’: Dialog is now present in 25 countries across Europe, Asia and America. The sleek Hamburg website is in German and English www.dialog-im-dunkeln.de
Marketing and PR : Sonja Kanemaki +49 (0) 40 309 634 – 44
Photo : G2 Baraniak
