Join us for an afternoon of conversation, sound and spontaneous public art-making, centred around Can Touch This – a tactile installation designed with and for the blind and visually impaired (BVI) community.

Artist Shan Michaels (QLD) will speak about her lived experience and the collaborative process behind Can Touch This, developed with South Australian textile artists and the BVI community. Composer Antony Abbracciavento (SA) will share his approach to tactile wayfinding and composing as a vision-impaired sound artist and play excerpts from his compositions. ACE Artistic Director Danni Zuvela will reflect on the history of “devisualising” the gallery – moving beyond sight as the dominant way to experience art.

We’ll conclude the day with a collective “braille bombing” session – adding playful braille labels around ACE (and possibly beyond) to share the braille love.

Support

Adelaide Contemporary Experimental (ACE) is supported by Create SA and Creative Australia.
Push / Pull is supported by City of Adelaide, and History Trust of South Australia. Shan Michaels is
supported by Arts Queensland.
Special thanks to project partners the South Australian School and Services for the Visually Impaired,
and The Mercury.

Sponsor logos: Create SA, Creative SA, City of Adelaide, Arts Queensland, History Trust SA, the South Australian School and Services for the Visually Impaired, and The Mercury.

Image: 'Push / Pull' – 'Can Touch This': Shan Michaels (2025), workshop documentation, Adelaide Contemporary Experimental. Photography by Lana Adams.
Image alt text: Two people manipulating a piece of bright pink, ruched fabric. One person tightly gathers the material while the other holds the end. The scene takes place in a workshop setting.