Mask wearing, contactless, remote communication, social distancing, and sepiment have become parts of our new normal over the past few years. While social distancing has become the covenant to public health and epidemic prevention, physical touch is becoming a new taboo.

 

The "accessible facilities" designed to assist the visually impaired in their daily lives have abruptly become an obstacle: stuff like buttons, handrails, braille have all become perilous. Citizens with normal sight can, of course, actively avoid invisible viruses, but how can the visually impaired cope with the new social norm in a short time? Fortunately, the existence of voice systems and instructions remind us that "physical touches" are not limited to fingertips. Although physical contact is forbidden, human connections are not obstructed. When we communicate through our five senses, the world will be reconnected.

 

Following the first-stage exhibition "Daily" in December 2021, in the second-stage exhibition "Every Month", the 8th Touch Art Festival not only showcases the artworks of five visually impaired artists who participated in the previous show but also features five local artists. Through their intuitive creations using senses beyond visions and their skilled mediums, these artists will touch and dialogue with the world.

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Wong Ka Ying (Guest Curator)