While most people will know the Canon brand from its wide range of cameras, equipment and such, the veteran imaging company also sponsors a lot of events geared towards cultural enrichment, as well as collaborations with dedicated organizations and institues. With that in mind Canon recently announced the upcoming “World Unseen” photo exhibit, which will be held starting tomorrow. The event was organized in partnership with the Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB).
As such, the exhibition is open to visitors – blind, partially sighted and sighted – and is designed with the experience of blind and partially sighted people in mind. The event features a series of photographs from world-renowned photographers, and are accompanied with elevated prints, audio descriptions, soundscapes and braille to help visitors connect with the images and the stories behind them.
The exhibition will showcase works from several photographers and Canon ambassadors including multi-award-winning South African photojournalist Brent Stirton, Brazilian Photojournalist Sebastião Salgado, Nigerian photojournalist Yagazie Emezi, sports photographer Samo Vidic, fashion photographer Heidi Rondak and Pulitzer winning photojournalist Muhammed Muheisen. Speaking about the event, Pete Morris, Brand and Sponsorship Senior Manager at Canon EMEA states:
“Photography is an incredibly powerful medium that can push the imagination and we want this experience to be accessible to everyone. This exhibition was created with blind and partially sighted people in mind to share imagery and the stories behind them in an entirely new way. With Canon’s elevated print technology, we hope all visitors will feel a deeper connection to the emotions and stories that imaging can bring to life.”
Canon adds that sighted people will also gain a better appreciation of the partially sighted experience – the images featured in the exhibit are obscured in different ways to convey different types of visual impairment, such as glaucoma to diabetic retinopathy. In addition to raising awareness of accessibility in arts and cultural spaces, it also shows how inclusive design can improve the experiences for everyone. Dave Williams, Inclusive Design Ambassador at RNIB, says:
“The World Unseen exhibition opens up the world of photography and enables more blind and partially sighted people to experience the emotive stories, and physical touch, of these iconic images. As a braille user, it’s fantastic to be working with Canon to raise awareness of the possibilities of textured print and to see in action how technology can make art more accessible for people with sight loss.”
The “World Unseen” photo exhibit runs from 5th to 7th of April, and will be held at the Somerset House.
