Omry Batkilin

“Tactizine” is a project developed for creating a cultural oasis for the blind within public space through the implementation of a new format: a sensory-based magazine made from ceramic tiles which will be placed in locations throughout the city, while using its existing infrastructure. While navigating daily life, one experiences the artistic character of a city through its decorative façades and monuments thanks to the eyes that gather information – if one cannot rely on the sense of sight, the experience of the city changes enormously. While way-finding systems for blind people have been implemented in the last decades, it is aimed at a functional use of public space, ignoring a leisure-oriented usage of it. What “Tactizine” asks to do is to fill this gap by exploring a new form of art displaying that involves and is aesthetically appealing for both the audiences of blind and sighted people. For the presentation, a prototype of “Tactizine” will be presented, with 15 ceramic tiles containing a poem in braille text along with tactile elements which can be found in Vienna.