New exhibit ‘Dialogue in the Dark’ arrives at Museo de la Luz, Mérida’s light-themed museum
“Dialogue in the Dark” at Mérida’s Museo de la Luz is more than an exhibit; it is a movement to promote inclusion and empathy for the visually impaired.
The experience has traveled to more than 130 cities in 35 countries and has been experienced by millions.
The one-hour experience is designed to be an invisible landscape of sorts, made up of sounds, smells, and textures that invite the navigation of a space the way someone with complete visual impairment would.
The exhibit is also designed to be accessible to people with limited mobility.
Designed by the German social entrepreneur Andreas Heinecke, Dialogue in the Dark has won several awards and accolades from organizations worldwide, including the Stevie Wonder Vision Award (1998) and the ESSL Foundation Award (2012).
Before getting started, visitors are requested to leave their cell phones, smart watches, or any source of light, as well as handbags, in lockers provided by the museum.
Though the experience is guided in groups of six to eight people, it can sometimes be overwhelming, especially for those who have gone in blind (pardon the pun) to what exactly they are about to experience.
That said, if visitors feel the experience is too much for them, they are welcome to leave at any time. However, for the same reason, only visitors at least 18 years old are admitted.
After the guided tour ends, participants are invited for a coffee and to reflect on their experiences.
“I have to admit that after this experience, I felt a little silly about not ever fully thinking through what living in a lightless world would be like,” said Juan Miranda, a recent attendee to the exhibit. “It certainly is not something I will ever forget.”
Extra experiences
In addition to the “Dialogue in the Dark” exhibit, the second floor of Museo de la Luz hosts two much smaller experiences, which are open to people of all ages.
The first is a room filled with microscopes and samples to observe tiny objects and animals in a way they likely never had before.
The exhibit also includes models of the human eye that can be disassembled and reassembled to better understand this organ and how changes in its composition can lead to visual impairments.
The second exhibit centers around optical technologies, allowing attendees to learn more about how the human eye works and observe their eyes through a refraction device.
Like all exhibits at Mérida’s Museo de la Luz, “Dialogue in the Dark” is hosted by the Autonomous National University (UNAM), considered one of the best universities in Latin America.
Admission to the Museo de la Luz is 25 pesos for students, 50 pesos for Yucatán residents, 70 pesos for domestic visitors and 100 pesos for international tourists.
The Museo de la Luz opened in November 2003 as part of Parque de la Plancha, at the corner of Calle 50 and Calle 43, on the eastern edge of the Centro. Hours: Tuesday to Sunday 9 a.m.-1 p.m., reopening at 4 p.m. until 8 p.m.
Senior Editor Carlos Rosado van der Gracht is a Mexican expedition/Canadian photographer and adventure leader. Born in Mérida, Carlos holds multimedia, philosophy, and translation degrees from universities in Mexico, Canada and Norway.