Arte e cultura para pessoas surdas: uma releitura acessível e interativa da exposição "Bestiário Nordestino"

Abstract

Art manifests in various forms, including painting, literature, dance, theater, and music. With technological advancements, new forms of artistic expression have emerged, particularly in the digital realm. Since the 1980s, computational image representation has opened up numerous possibilities, allowing artists to use technological tools both for creating and sharing their work. Within the context of digital art, interactive digital art stands out by involving active participation from users, transforming the artistic experience into a dynamic and collaborative process. In the context of Deaf culture, there are various artistic expressions with unique characteristics that set them apart from other forms of art. To better understand these particularities, we conducted interviews with members of the Deaf community, revealing a significant lack of interactive digital art aimed at this audience. It was observed that the few digital artworks known to the Deaf community are often shared through social media and frequently lack interactivity. To address this gap, this work proposes creating an interactive digital experience for the Deaf community, inspired in the exhibition "Bestiário Nordestino – A Look at Fantastic Engraving", held at the Casa de Antônio Conselheiro in Quixeramobim, Ceará, exposed during 2023 and the first half of 2024. Exploratory visits to the exhibition were conducted with a group of Deaf individuals to identify accessibility gaps and understand how Deaf people interact with the exhibited artworks. Subsequently, we held a focus group to gather detailed information about the participants’ experiences. In the following stage, we engaged in collaborative prototyping with Deaf artist Lúcia de Fátima, also from Quixeramobim, Ceará. This phase was crucial for designing an accessible website focused on four selected works from the exhibition and producing content that facilitated interaction for Deaf users. After finalizing the prototype, we conducted usability tests and interviews with Deaf community members to gather feedback on the site and identify potential improvements.