On October 16, the exhibition “Culture for All” opened at the Art Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina. Through innovative 3D models of selected artworks from the permanent collection, the exhibition brings art closer to persons with disabilities. Visitors are given the opportunity to experience works by Bosnian and Herzegovinian artists such as Roman Petrović, Đoko Mazalić, Lazar Drljača, and Karlo Mijić through touch and sound, opening art to all the senses.
Art by Touch: Konjic Native Lejla Mehanoli Alić Made Art Accessible to All the Senses in a BiH Gallery
The exhibition was organized by the Association Life with Down Syndrome of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (the project lead) and the Art Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as part of the project “Museum for All,” which, with the support of UNESCO and the European Union, promotes accessibility and the right of everyone to a barrier-free cultural experience.
A key role in the realization of the project was played by Lejla Mehanoli Alić, a product designer from Konjic, who designed, modeled, and supervised the production process of the tactile replicas. Lejla Mehanoli Alić graduated from the Academy of Fine Arts, Department of Product Design, and her academic excellence is reflected in her distinctions as Student of the Generation in both primary and secondary school, Best Student of the Generation, and recipient of the Golden Badge of the University of Sarajevo.
Lejla Mehanoli Alić emphasized that the idea of the project was to make exhibitions in museums and galleries “more accessible to all people, regardless of their abilities.”
“I was engaged to work on the design and production of tactile replicas of artworks by some of the most renowned artists from Bosnia and Herzegovina. We created tactile 3D-printed replicas of artworks with the aim of bringing art closer to persons with disabilities—particularly blind and visually impaired individuals, as well as those with intellectual disabilities,” Mehanoli Alić said.
Product designer Mehanoli Alić explained which works by Bosnian and Herzegovinian artists were presented at the inclusive exhibition and how they were adapted for tactile experience:
“At the exhibition, we presented works by several of our most renowned artists. We exhibited works by Lazar Drljača—specifically Travelers and The Old Bridge—as well as works by Đoko Mazalić and Karlo Mijić. In addition, we included portraits by Roman Petrović and Vlaho Bukovac. The selection of works was made to showcase the breadth and diversity of our artists’ oeuvres, encompassing different motifs (nature, still lifes, portraits) and various techniques. Some artists worked more expressively, others focused on detail, while some, like Đoko Mazalić, dealt exclusively with volume. Our primary goal was to approach the replicas in a way that preserves the artist’s sensibility and original intent, while simultaneously presenting texture in a simplified form that people with visual impairments can touch and feel under their fingers—thus opening art to everyone.”
Adapting artworks for people with visual impairments required a special technique:
“The artwork was converted into a 3D format (through scanning or photographing). This was followed by 3D modeling in software, where the texture was adapted so that people with visual impairments could feel it under their fingers. 3D printing was then used to create the final tactile replicas. This is the first time this has been done in our country, something that had not previously been done in a Bosnian and Herzegovinian art gallery, including the Art Gallery of Bosnia and Herzegovina, which holds the largest heritage and collection of works by Bosnian and Herzegovinian painters,” emphasized Mehanoli Alić.
Before being exhibited, the prints were tested in collaboration with members of the Association of the Blind and Visually Impaired in Sarajevo, whose feedback was crucial for the final adjustments, Mehanoli Alić emphasized. She added that visitor reactions were extremely positive, and blind and visually impaired attendees expressed their happiness that projects are being launched to make culture accessible to everyone.
“I believe this was the most important thing—to bring these topics into our society and to work more on such projects. This was a pioneering approach, and I hope that in the future there will be even more successful and better adaptations for all people, regardless of their abilities,” concluded Lejla Mehanoli Alić.
In the context of future work, she encouraged young artists and designers to consider all the senses in their creations and to take into account different aspects of perception, not just visual or auditory.
“To everyone involved in any kind of creative work, not just art, I would like to say that whenever they create something, they should think about all the senses and how wonderful it would be if everyone could experience what they are making. They should consider different aspects of perception—not just visual or auditory—when creating something for others to perceive. Of course, it is important to first study inclusion and understand people’s needs, rather than working ad hoc. Inclusion is truly a science that must be studied in order to connect everything into a cohesive whole.”
With this project, Konjic native Lejla Mehanoli Alić and the entire team behind the exhibition “Culture for All” have demonstrated that art is truly a universal language, setting a new standard of inclusion in Bosnia and Herzegovina’s cultural heritage and encouraging future generations of artists to create for “all the senses.”
Source of text and photos: Radio Konjic –https://radiokonjic.ba/umjetnost-dodirom-konjicanka-lejla-mehanoli-alic-ucinila-umjetnost-dostupnom-za-sva-cula-u-galeriji-bih/
