As part of its core mission to promote equal cultural rights, the National Museum of Taiwan History is launching "Heart Perspective: Luway Photography Exhibition 2018" in cooperation with Tainan's Catholic Luway Opportunity Center. Through a multi-sensory exhibition that embraces touch, sound, and smell as well as sight, this exhibition aims to showcase the unique perspectives and ideas of youths with intellectual disabilities.
For the first time, Luway Center members are serving as both curators and docents, which offers these intellectually disabled youths a new experience in cultural participation while setting down a new milestone in the NMTH's work for equal cultural rights.
This exhibition is split into three sections: Self-Portraits, Exploring the Life of the Heart, and Meeting the NMTH. The first section features images created by intellectually disabled youths, starting with photographic self-portraits and pairing these with paintings of the images of themselves that the artists want to portray to others.
"Exploring the Life of the Heart," meanwhile, looks at how these young people learn to take care of themselves and captures images of the world around them as they develop those skills. The final section, "Meeting the NMTH," offers insight into their learning about Taiwan's history through the NMTH and exploring the museum itself.
Besides having been curated by young people with intellectual disabilities, another noteworthy aspect of the exhibition is the additional content paired with the photographs that enables visitors with various disabilities to also experience them. These include specially produced 3D-printed touchable replicas, audible accompaniments, and even smellable "scentworks."
Since February, the young people of Luway have been training in photography, with some even taking the bus by themselves to the NMTH, which provided educational activities and tools like easy-to-read books, guided tours, and multi-sensory experiences to help them learn about the museum and Taiwanese history.
As well as providing pieces for the exhibition, several young people also participated in docent training, taking notes and making cue cards, as well as rehearsing their presentations. These young participants, who were involved in every aspect of the preparation of the exhibition, are all eagerly looking forward to having the chance to show their guests a whole new side of themselves.
The National Museum of Taiwan History has stepped up its promotion of equal cultural rights since 2012. Recent efforts include providing improved accessible facilities; inviting members of remote communities and underprivileged groups, as well as the physically and intellectually disabled, to visit the museum; arranging training workshops; and holding both domestic and international seminars. The museum’s exhibitions also provide verbal descriptions of images, easy-to-read guides, and special educational activities for the elderly, giving all groups an opportunity to enjoy learning about the history of Taiwan.
‘Heart Perspective: Luway Photography Exhibition 2018’
- Date: Oct. 24, 2018 – April 14, 2019
- Venue: The National Museum of Taiwan History
- Address: No. 250 Zhanghe Road Section 1, Annan District, Tainan City, Taiwan (ROC)
- Website: The National Museum of Taiwan History