Berco Wilsenach

University of Pretoria

Abstract

Project for the Blind Astronomer

This artistic project is an investigation into different decoding systems with which the night sky can be mapped and explained to a visually impaired audience. Not only are these star maps presented as a tactile experience, but also the necessary written information is in Braille. This makes for a limited experience for the sighted viewer, who can see the stars only for their superficial beauty. The blind person, on the other hand, has a more informative experience but cannot totally grasp the visual impact of the night sky. Both remain in the dark, frustrated by the lack of a total sensory experience.
On a more academic level this project makes reference to the concept of the cartographic gaze, and how the celestial sphere has been colonised by different cultures by superimposing different mythological conventions over this natural phenomena in order to make sense of this unknown reality. It furthermore looks at the contemporary notion that the Kantonian Sublime could also be found in the beautiful and not only in the overwhelming.

Biographical Details

Berco Wilsenach has a BA (1996) and an MA (2002) in Fine Arts at the University of Pretoria, South Africa. He furthered his studies at the Accademia di Belli Arte in Genova, Italy and thereafter at the Kunstakademie in Düsseldorf, Germany. He has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions both in South Africa and in Europe at museums/galleries including the Pretoria Art Museum, Palazzo Ducale in Genova and the MAK in Vienna. He has won numerous awards for his work in South Africa. He is a part-time lecturer at the University of Pretoria and is currently reading for a PhD.