Is it necessary to see in order to experience art? Eight blind and visually impaired children from the ONCE Foundation have shown that it isn't at the MUN

Could you explain a work of art without seeing it? It probably seems like a very complicated task. Visual art is all about what we see. Or at least that’s what we might think at first glance, but nothing could be further from the truth.

Sight is important when we stand before a work of art, but it isn't essential, because beyond simply seeing them, we can also feel what these works are telling us. You might ask yourself: How?

Although it may seem complicated, the University of Navarra Museum has succeeded in doing so by transforming its exhibition halls into a sensory universe.

On Saturday, May 23, the MUN’s galleries looked very different from usual. The museum was no longer a quiet place filled with visitors standing still in front of paintings; instead, it became a museum brimming with sounds and excitement. Visitors could touch the museum and let their imaginations run wild. The MUN’s galleries housed not only works of art, but also boxes of sand, musical instruments, fabrics, and even cardboard.

Because the goal day wasn't to see the works of art, but to experience them.

And amid that mix of art and objects, eight children—including Markel, age one; Dana, age 3; Ana, age 2; and Víctor, age one—wandered through the space in search of things that would help them understand a little better what the museum they were in was like.

The reason? Dana, Markel, Víctor, Ana… are children who are blind or have low vision, and they were given access to an entire museum transformed into a sensory universe to demonstrate that sight is not essential when it comes to experiencing art.

Accompanied by their parents and representatives from the ONCE Navarra Foundation, the eight children toured the MUN, learning about different ways to experience the works of art—ways in which their visual impairment was not a barrier, but rather a new opportunity to imagine and create their own ideas.

Thus, *Composició amb cistella*, Tàpies’ famous box—which at first glance looks like a cardboard box and which has so often had to be clarified as not actually being one—finally became a box made of that material; for them, for those little explorers, Tàpies’ box *was* indeed cardboard: cardboard they could touch and feel, to get a sense of what that work of art—which symbolizes a cardboard box—was like, the very one standing right in front of them.

As we made our way through the galleries, we discovered that *Incendi d'amor*, also by Tàpies, had been transformed into a vast beach thanks to a sandbox where these children could play as if they were at the beach. Indeed, *Incendi d’amor* can be interpreted as a vast beach, mainly due to the sand-like effect the artist left imprinted on the work, the effect of footprints on the water, or even the watercolor box that seems to be visible.

In the next conference room, “The Tower of Babel”— that enormous metal structure rising up to the ceiling—had come to life. The artwork was no longer just a metal structure; it had become a concert of instruments placed in front of it, providing a soundtrack whenever these little explorers played them.

Thus, the youngest children didn't have to simply observe, but rather experience, because all the materials placed in front of the artworks didn't ask them to look, but rather to discover, experiment, and imagine what they thought each of those artworks might be like.

On the morning of Saturday, May 23, the MUN ceased to be merely a visual space and became a place where art is experienced and imagined, and where the youngest children were able to engage in early childhood stimulation in a different way. “This is the first time we’ve held a group activity with the youngest children in Navarra, because we usually work with them separately. I usually go to their homes, and that’s where I conduct the sessions, but today we decided to have them all together. We worked on visual stimulation with them, and I soon realized that the MUN offered us a great opportunity to do the work we usually do individually, but in a group setting—and what better place than a museum environment full of colors, textures, and works of art…?” said Roberto Malvar, early manager ONCE.

And that's exactly what happened. During the first part of the morning, the youngest children explored the different rooms, discovering in each one new ways to see and experience these works of art, and the day ended with an activity that brought the children and their parents closer together.

Thus, a workshop was held not only for the MUN but also for these children and their families, who were able to have fun while learning a new approach to early childhood stimulation. “The baby is really enjoying it; he seems to be doing great,” Markel’s parents remarked, a sentiment shared by other parents as well: “Ana is a member of ONCE because she was born with congenital cataracts, and Roberto comes to our home to work with her. He suggested it would be a good idea to come here and bring Ana together with other children for a group activity using sensory materials, and honestly, we’re really happy because she’s able to work on that sensory aspect…”

And so it became clear that you don't have to see art to feel it, nor do you have to know anything about art to enjoy it.