Blind visitor couldn’t see the sculpture at exhibit — so the artist helped him experience it through touch
'Then feel the face. See if you recognize what it is,' the artist told Hobby.
A recent art exhibit at Chiesa di Santa Caterina turned into something more than just a display of sculpture when one blind visitor experienced Daniel Arsham's "Venice 3024" through touch instead of sight. In a video uploaded by the artist himself (@danielarsham), Arsham is seen guiding a blind man through one of his crystal-covered works, carefully describing each detail as the man, whom Arsham addressed as Hoby, explores it with his hands. The video has garnered 200k views and over 76,000 likes so far.
The interaction begins as Arsham gently places the visitor’s fingers on the textured surface. "These are the crystals. These are real crystals," he says, making sure the man understands what he is touching. The visitor immediately begins asking questions, moving slowly and deliberately across the piece. "What is that rock?" he asks, to which Arsham gently explains, "This one that you're feeling now is a polished quartz." The visitor pauses and responds with certainty, "Yeah, and you know how I can tell it's quartz is because on the nail, quartz is ever so slightly attractive." Arsham reacts with a brief laugh.
Instead of rushing through the explanation, Arsham continues guiding him section by section. "And then this is a pink calcite crystal," he says, moving the visitor’s hands carefully. He then directs him higher up the sculpture. "And then feel the face. See if you recognize what it is." The man traces the contours thoughtfully. "That's kind of a human face," he says. "It's the stormtrooper," Arsham replies. "Oh my God," the visitor says, clearly recognizing it. Arsham then explains the structure more elaborately. "So this one is a bust. So if you come on the sides, you feel the edge of the glass," he says. As the visitor follows the edge, he interprets, "And there's more crystals there. There are more crystals inside. It's the same idea of falling apart and becoming a fan." By the time the man has explored the full piece, he responds simply, "Oh, Daniel, this is gorgeous."
The moment is heartwarming because of how naturally it unfolded. A 2024 article titled "Access for the blind in the Art Setting: Tactile Paintings" discusses the role of tactile resources as accessibility tools for visually impaired museum-goers and how touch helps them engage more fully with artwork. It reviews evidence showing that tactile access, when paired with description and guidance, plays an important role in enabling blind visitors to explore and understand art. In the clip, Arsham never appears to be interrupted or inconvenienced but remains focused, answering questions directly and adjusting his explanations based on what the visitor is feeling.
The video has since circulated widely, with viewers returning to it repeatedly. @tomsykes.tattoos wrote, "I love how he knew it was quartz! Crazy that he has a completely different perception of life & can still see the beauty in it" @mat_matic commented, "Daniel, the piece is amazing, but even more amazing was this interaction." @stokesmanship added, "I never skip this video. It's so sublimely beautiful and so utterly human."
You can follow Daniel Arsham (@danielarsham) on Instagram to know more about his art.
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