Doppio Senso: Tactile Tours for Blind Visitors at Peggy Guggenheim Collection

Valeria Bottalico, educator at the Peggy Guggenheim Collection in Venice, launched Doppio Senso, a tactile tour program for blind and visually impaired visitors. The project began on September 24, 2014, when blind American visitor Gordon Gund requested to touch sculptures, leading to a donation from The Gordon and Llura Gund Foundation. Monthly sessions include guided tactile exploration by Bottalico and clay workshops with blind sculptor Felice Tagliaferri. Over 300 blind visitors from across Italy have participated, along with more than 600 sighted visitors. Original bronze sculptures by Alberto Giacometti, Max Ernst, and Jean Arp have been touched, while resin relief reproductions of works by Picasso, Klee, Kandinsky, and Modigliani are available. The program is supported by Fondazione Araldi Guinetti Vaduz and Kirsh Foundation. Future plans include a descriptive catalog and permanent relief displays. Bottalico also collaborates with Accademia Carrara di Bergamo, Musei Civici di Bassano del Grappa, and Civico Museo Archeologico di Milano.