September 28 (Rositsa Ilieva of BTA) - The debut project of the Association of Artists with Disabilities in Bulgaria (AADB) will defy conventional ideas of photography. The one-year project is called "Fiesta of Darkness and Light" and will start on October 1. It will consist in making a series of videos which highlight sensory photography as an art practiced by visually impaired people. Sensory photography not only redefines the meaning of "seeing" but also expands our understanding of a photographer's worldview.

The AADB was set up in 2017 with the ambition to bring together people with all kinds of disabilities who practice various arts. Its Founding President is Nikolai Primov, who has been recognized by the media as the only half-blind stained-glass artist in Bulgaria. He and Dessislava Karaivanova, deputy leader of the initiative, say that their mission is to assist artists with disabilities, popularize their works, help them realize their potential, boost their confidence and show zero tolerance towards all forms of discrimination against persons with disabilities.

One of the association's main goals is not just to talk about such artists but also to encourage the general public, collectors and connoisseurs to appreciate their talent. With this in mind, a five-member crew has started making the above-mentioned series of short videos showing visually impaired people doing photography.

Sensory photography has become popular over the last 10 years. It came to Bulgaria from Mexico. What sets it apart from other genres is that the visually impaired photographer uses senses other than vision to determine the direction of light (for example, by feeling the warmth of light on their skin), which helps them understand what exactly they need to do in order to shoot a specific photo. Also, the model can use their voice to orient the photographer as to their position and distance.

The future videos will show various photo shooting techniques, including light painting. In one episode, Primov will demonstrate how he "sees" the world around him while working in the park and will showcase various glass staining methods.

The videos can be used as a tutorial to encourage visually impaired people to do art with the awareness that there are no barriers to artistic expression. The AADB also wants to demonstrate the skills of artists with disabilities to people without disabilities.

The project has a Facebook page: www.facebook.com/Feeriaotmrakisvetlina. It is being implemented with the assistance of the National Culture Fund, the Publiki Programme, the Module for Artistic Intervention in a Digital and Public Environment under the Ministry of Culture. RI/VE

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