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Bob and Roberta Smith, Art Soapbox Courtesy of the Halles Gallery, Copyright the artist

New art exhibition will be accessible to blind audiences

New technology will describe an art exhibition at the Kilkenny Arts Festival to visually impaired members of the public.

THE KILKENNY ARTS Festival, which launched this week, will feature the first Irish art exhibition accessible to those with a visual impairment.

Using a device called a Discovery Pen the Art Makes Children Powerful exhibition, by renowned visual artist Bob and Roberta Smith, will allow blind and visually impaired audience members to explore the works. The pen will take audiences through descriptions of the works, as well as statements by the artists and curators of the exhibition.

The exhibition runs in Kilkenny’s Butler Gallery from 10 August until 6 October and the executive director of Arts and Disability Ireland (ADI) Padráig Naughton says that the technology will prove a breakthrough for those with visual impairments.

“As a visually impaired person, my experience of visiting exhibitions is seeing amazing art that I don’t know the name of, who it was created by, when it was made or what materials it was made with.

“ADI’s new technology offers visually impaired people the chance to learn as little or much as they want to about the art and the artist when visiting an exhibition.”

In the show, Smith outlines the importance of culture and art in society. During the festival, Smith will ask the people of Kilkenny for their views on art on banners hung across the city. These answers will be performed live on 20 September.

Bairbre-Ann Harkin, the education curator of the Butler Gallery, says that the collaboration with ADI will make the work more accessible.

“We are excited to collaborate with ADI in making the engaging work of Bob and Roberta Smith accessible to a wider audience, through this innovative technology. We are very grateful for ADI’s support, guidance and expertise throughout this process and look forward to welcoming new audiences into the Butler Gallery as a result.”

Read: John Lennon Educational Bus open to Irish public

Read: How do you feel about graveside webcams?

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    Mute Messer
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    Apr 23rd 2018, 11:39 AM

    Not half as much as he deserved

    257
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    Mute The Girl
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    Apr 23rd 2018, 11:48 AM

    @Messer: He needs more years. Some times one wonders if these so called permitted by law sentences even makes sense. I think there should be a single international human rights rule-Life for Life. You take a life, your gets taken.

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    Mute Walt Jabsco
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    Apr 23rd 2018, 2:18 PM

    @Messer:
    This was only for the shootout in Belgium – he’s being tried separately for the Paris attacks.

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    Mute Walt Jabsco
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    Apr 23rd 2018, 6:02 PM

    @Sandra O’Fucáif:
    Congruent doesn’t mean what you think it means…

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    Mute Jimmy Ryan Rises
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    Apr 23rd 2018, 12:05 PM

    Molenbeek – a wonderful example of multiculturalism and cultural enrichment. I think we should start sending all the advocates of these to live there.

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    Mute Jimmy Ryan Rises
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    Apr 23rd 2018, 12:10 PM
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    Mute Jimmy Ryan Rises
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    Apr 23rd 2018, 3:41 PM

    @Sandra O’Fucáif: Canadastan..sure a multicultural utopia because Trudeau said it was….

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    Mute Elvis King
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    Apr 23rd 2018, 3:49 PM

    @Sandra O’Fucáif: Wait till the numbers grow of a certain religion,

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    Mute Damien O'Brien
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    Apr 23rd 2018, 4:13 PM

    @Jimmy Ryan Rises:

    http://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-43860880

    I wonder when pro open borders Journal.ie will report in this.

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    Mute johnp
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    Apr 23rd 2018, 4:35 PM

    @Damien O’Brien: seem like common sense to me, speed up the process for those genuinely in need of asylum

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    Mute Damien O'Brien
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    Apr 23rd 2018, 4:41 PM

    @johnp:

    Our goverment throws out the line that we have to accept all the rules relating to immigration as.dictated by the EU.

    It’s funny how France, Germany, Austria etc. seem to change it on a whim.

    There are massive social problems coming down the tracks in Ireland.

    Yet our goverment just let the borders wide open for anyone who wants to come here.

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    Mute Patty Cullinane
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    Apr 23rd 2018, 11:44 AM

    “Abdeslam proclaimed that he would put his “trust in Allah”….”

    How’s that working for you Abdselam?

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    Mute Rear Admiral
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    Apr 23rd 2018, 11:49 AM

    they say that when these guys go to prison, they become demi-martyrs inside and intensify the radicalization from inside turning ordinary crims into jihadis.

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    Mute Stephen Lyons
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    Apr 23rd 2018, 12:14 PM

    @Rear Admiral: Not entirely, heard an account recently from a Britsh activist Maajid Nawaz who was imprisoned in Egypt while studying over there and he said he feels a lot of terror-related captives turned away from the extremist side of things after having been incarcerated.

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    Mute Walt Jabsco
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    Apr 23rd 2018, 2:22 PM

    @Rear Admiral:
    I think nowadays they’re kept separate from the general prison population.

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    Mute Elvis King
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    Apr 23rd 2018, 3:57 PM

    Trouble ,Trouble ,Trouble , is what i see for irelands future , just look at whats happening all over europe, Madness,

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    Mute Michael Lang
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    Apr 23rd 2018, 11:56 AM

    The obvious concern is what happens after he is released. There must be a substantial risk of attempted reoffending.

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    Mute Patty Cullinane
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    Apr 23rd 2018, 12:20 PM

    @Michael Lang:
    “… Abdeslam would likely have to serve the full Belgian 20-year term on top of any sentence that arises from the French trial over the Paris attacks”

    Abdeslam is not done being sentenced. By the time all the court proceedings on this matter is over, he will probably spend the rest of his life in prison.

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    Mute Patty Cullinane
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    Apr 23rd 2018, 12:21 PM

    Typo- “are over”

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    Mute Jimmy Ryan Rises
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    Apr 23rd 2018, 12:24 PM

    @Michael Lang: More than likely, he will go back to live in Molenbeek as a hero while he plans his next mission to kill infidels. He will be supported wholeheartedly by the inhabitants of that area.

    In the meantime, if Belgium vote in more SWJ’s similar to Justin Trudeau, Abdeslam will probably bring a civil case against the Belgian authorities for conspiring with the French authorities to breach his “human rights.” Of course, he will win become a “liberal” champion and gain a State apology.

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    Mute Jamie Jj Tobin
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    Apr 23rd 2018, 11:51 AM

    I hope Allah does not guide any more Muslims to do the unthinkable!

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    Mute pc_comments
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    Apr 23rd 2018, 11:47 AM

    This Islamic State Jahadi got 20 years while a week ago France bombed Syria….. on the word of Jaish Al Islam a Jahadi group with close links to IS….Proof of this was on Jaish Al Islam social media pages….Meanwhile this week IS in Damascus are fighting Syrian army for last IS enclave in Damascus…. Macron seems a bit confused….

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    Mute Damien O'Brien
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    Apr 23rd 2018, 4:21 PM

    This is a snapshot of Irelands future.

    When we have all the problems that Europe is facing now from failed mass immigration of people from cultures who don’t want to integrate.

    Where will all the pro open borders be then?

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    Mute Elvis King
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    Apr 23rd 2018, 3:43 PM

    its only a matter of time,

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    Mute Damien O'Brien
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    Apr 23rd 2018, 4:23 PM

    It’s even the sheer amount of current immigration into Ireland at the moment.

    Failed housing, healthcare and education to nale a few. However it’s full steam ahead with project 2040 and stretch an already overburden country with an extra 1 million people.

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    Mute Smelly Chemist
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    Apr 24th 2018, 6:33 AM

    France attacked Assad, who is the only force with boots on the ground fighting ISIS. ISIS are armed by Saudi Arabia who are armed by USA and UK. The guy who radicalised this one was trained in Syria fighting against Assad. This is all in-fighting.

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    Mute David Grey
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    May 6th 2018, 12:40 PM

    Why so short a sentence.

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