Dialogue in the Dark

Close your eyes — Open your mind
Dialogue in the Dark is an interactive exhibit that introduces visitors to a world without sight. The immersive experience is a journey in which visitors rely on sounds and textures — rather than sight — as they are led by blind or visually-impaired local guides through a series of experiences in complete darkness.

The exhibition highlights how, in the dark, ordinary routines become extraordinary experiences. Along with their guided group, visitors rely on the senses they so often take for granted and connect with the one million Saudis who are visually-impaired. Visitors will encounter everyday places and use different types of information – sound, taste, texture, smell, etc. – to find their way, understand, and enjoy the world.

Ithra is also hosting a series of related entertainment and educational programs, including a musical performance, talks, and workshops. In addition to the experience in the dark exhibition, which requires the purchase of tickets, visitors of all ages can enjoy the stimulating and exploratory “pre-activities” in which they are challenged to create shapes while blindfolded, puzzle out the identity of unseen objects through touch, try their skills at identifying sounds, and use a braille typing machine to write their own messages.

In the dark, ordinary routines become extraordinary experiences.
The goal of Dialogue in the Dark is to evoke empathy and to have visitors see the world in a different way. The exhibition seeks to help visitors heighten their non-sight senses and connect with the stories of their guides. The world of visually-impaired people, after all, is in no way poorer—just different.