“At the Tactual Museum you can touch history”

“At the Tactual Museum you can touch history”

“The Tactual Museum is a part of the Lighthouse for the Blind of Greece and was founded in 1984. The Museum was created with passion and love for people with visual disabilities, so that they can get closer to the cultural heritage of Greece. Statues, vases, sculptures and utilitarian objects, exact copies of the originals exhibited in museums in Greece adorn the two floors of the building seeking, through touch, the blind to get to know works of great cultural value from the Cycladic, Minoan, Geometric, Archaic, Strict Rhythm, Classical, Hellenistic and Roman periods.

The Tactual Museum is part of the Lighthouse for the Blind of Greece and was founded in 1984. In 1988 it received the European “Museum of the Year award” among 70 other European museums. In 2004 it opened its doors to the general public and today it is one of the five tactile museums worldwide.
“Starting your tour of the Museum, you notice that the rooms are divided and classified by thematic periods, so that people with vision loss can get a holistic approach to a work of art. Visitors have the opportunity to touch exact copies of the Aphrodite of Milos, the Hermes of Praxiteles, the Charioteer of Delphi, as well as models of the Acropolis hill in the 5th century BC and other masterpieces”.

“Sighted people who visit the Museum as part of the programs held are informed about its history as well as what visual impairment is. Trying to fully understand the Tactual Museum they either place a mask over their eyes or simply close their eyes and start moving around the space with the white cane and an attendant. They stand in front of the artworks, touch them and automatically put themselves in the blinds’ shoes, discovering at that moment what it’s like to work only with touch.”

  • Published on the website: tanea.gr
  • Publication date: 04/11/19